THE  LIFE 


OF 


REV.  JOHN  WESLEY  REDFIELD,  I,  D. 


-BY- 


REV.  JOSEPH  GOODWIN  TERRILL 


""WHOSE  FAITH  FOLLOW." 


CHICAGO,  ILL. 


Published  by  the  Author,  104  Franklin  Street. 


COPYRIGHT   BY 

REV  J.  G.  TERRILL, 
MAY,  1889. 


TO  ALL  THOSE, 
who,  with  evangelical  faith, 

and  fervent  love, 
by  their  prayers,  means  and  personal  efforts, 

are  engaged  in  the  glorious  work 
of  leading  souls  from  sin  and  the  world 

to  partake  of  the 
peace  and  joy  that  springs  from  that 

"HOLINESS 
WITHOUT  WHICH  NO  MAN  CAN  SEE  THE  LORD," 

these  pages  are  inscribed  by  the 

AUTHOB. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Introduction,  by  Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts 1-6 

Author's  Introduction 7-i6 

CHAPTER  I. 
Birth — Early  Impressions  of  Being  Called  to  Preach — Conversion — 

First  Religious  Labors,  etc 17-24 

CHAPTER  II. 

Fighting  against  God — Running  from  Duty — Strange  Experiences  23-28 

CHAPTER  III. 

Settling  the  Controversy — A  Long  and  Hard  Struggle-  The  Vic- 
tory Gained 29~33 

CHAPTER   IV. 
Starting  Out  to  Preach — First  Field  of  Labor — Successful  Efforts — 

Incidents,  etc 34~3^ 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Old  Struggle  Renewed— Call  to  Preach  Confirmed — Determined 

Rebellion— Off  the  Track 87-39 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Acting  Jonah's  Part — Turns  Infidel— Studying  Astronomy — Investi- 
gates Natural,  Mental,  and  Moral  Science — Escape  from 
Atheism — A  Presumptuous  Marriage  Engagement  ....  40-44 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Reaping  as  He  Sowed — Bitter  Consequences,  of  His  Presumptuous  ' 

Marriage — His  Own  Story 45"54 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Respite  from  Trouble— Dawn  of  Better  Days — His  Own  Story 
Concluded — Respite  from  Domestic  Difficulty  Followed  by  Sad 
Bereavements 55-57 

CHAPTER  IX. 

In  Lockport,  N.  Y. — Keeping  Bachelor's  Hall — A  Strange  Impres- 
sion— AVOWS  Abolition  Principles — Licensed  to  Preach — Goes 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio  58-61 

CHAPTER  X. 

A  Winter  in  Cleveland — Lectures  against  Slavery — Forms  the  First 

Anti-Slavery  Society — Story  of  a  Fugitive  Slave 62-78 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Returns  to  Lockport — Seeks  Entire  Sanctification — Erroneous  Seek- 
ing— House  to  House  Visitation — Incidents — Revival  Work  .  74-80 

(v) 


vi.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Serious  Illness— A  Winter  in  New  York  City— Wasting  with  Con- 
sumption—Healed  on  Consenting  to  Take  Up  the  Work  of  the 
Ministry— Preaching  in  New  York— The  Great  Night— A  Strik- 
ing Coincidence  .  .  .  .  , 81-87 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Great  Revival  in  New  York — Wonderful   Manifestations  of  Divine 

Power — Assaults  of  Temptation — Seeking  Holiness  Again     .     88-89 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Still  Seeking  Entire  Sanctification — Encouraged  by  a  Father  in 
Israel — Hears  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer — Prejudiced  against 
Them  by  Evil  Testimony — Goes  to  Camp  Meeting — Seeking 
Amiss — Attends  Another  Camp  Meeting — Meets  the  Palmers — 
Mrs.  Palmer  Shows  Him  the  Way  of  God  More  Perfectly — En- 
deavoring to  Enter  Beulah — Yielding  All — Taught  of  the  Spirit — 
Tempted — Triumphs  by  Faith — Jumps  the  Chasm — Sanctified 
Wholly— Abiding  Joy 90-101 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Mr.  Redfield's  Pastor— Mr.  Redfield  as  a  Class  Leader— Appoints 
Holiness  Meetings — A  Hundred  Persons  Sanctified — Many 
Sinners  Converted — Church  Membership  Greatly  Increased — 
Two  New  Churches  Formed — Opposition  to  the  Holiness 
Movement — Mr.  Redfield's  Determination — Severe  Tests — 
Victory  Gained — Invited  to  Labor  in  Another  Church — Ac- 
cepts the  Call — Successful  Labors 102- 108 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Change  of  Pastors — Mr.  Redfield  Still  Engaged  in  Revival  Work 
— Charged  with  Heresy  by  the  New  Pastor — Vindicates  Him- 
self— License  to  Preach  Renewed — Opposition  to  the  Holi- 
ness Teaching  of  Mr.  Redfield  and  Others  Continued — Bishop 
Hamline — A  Defender  and  Promoter  of  the  Holiness  Work — 
Becomes  Mr.  Redfield's  Confidential  Adviser,  etc 109-113 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Urged  to  Unite  with  the  Conference — Considering  the  Matter — 
Reasons  Which  Determined  Him  Against  It — Becomes  an  Evan- 
gelist— Contemporary  with  Cnughey,  Finney,  Burchard  and 
Knapp — Twenty  Miles  Above  New  York — Successful  Labors — 
A  New  Church — The  Dedication — A  Convert's  Exhortation — 
Good  Results 114-116 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Laboring  in  a  Mission  Church  in  the  Suburbs  of  New  York — Method 
with  Proselyters — A  Powerful  Revival — Incidents — The  M  is 
sion  Church  Made  Self-sustaining — Proselyting  Ministers  Dis- 
missed from  Their  Pastorate— The  Sequel— Mr.  Redfield's  Re- 
flections Concerning  Opposition  to  the  Thorough  Work  of  God 
— More  Incidents — Achans  Discovered  and  Disposed  of — 
Strange  Experience  of  a  Colored  Woman 117-121 


CONTENTS.  vii. 

PAGE. 
CHAPTER  XIX. 

Goes  from  New  York  to  a  Neighboring  City — His  Way  to  Success  in 
One  Church  Blocked — Goes  to  Another  Church — Great  Suc- 
cess Attending  His  Labors — Hopes  for  a  General  Revival  of  the 
Doctrine  and  Experience  of  Holiness — Disappointed  by  Hostil- 
ity Among  Ministers — Encouraged  by  a  Bishop — Opposition  to 
His  Revival  Labors  Continues — Open  Doors  in  Mortgaged 
Churches  and  among  Demoralized  Societies — Cause  of  the  Op- 
position to  Holiness  Discovered — Laboring  in  the  Church  of  a 
Sick  Pastor — Opposed  and  Slandered  by  the  Sick  Man — Mr. 
Redfield's  Prediction  Concerning  Him — The  Prophecy  Speedily 
Fulfilled— A  Class-leader  Sanctified — Turns  Exhorter  and 
Addresses  the  Employes  in  a  Factory — The  Class-leader 
Shouting— Mr.  Redfield  Called  For  by  an  Excited  Church 
Member — Joins  the  Class-leader  in  Praising  God — Visits  a 
Lady  Dying  of  Consumption — She  is  Saved  and  Healed  at  the 
Same  Time — Instances  Illustrating  Victory  Over  Death  .  .  122-128 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Summer  on  Long  Island — Preaching  in  the  Villages  on  Sundays 
— Personal  Experiences — Called  to  Occupy  a  Vacant  Pulpit 
until  the  Time  for  Beginning  His  Revival  Work — Condition  of 
the  Charge — Beginning  His  Labors — Visiting  One  of  the  Prin- 
cipals in  an  Old  Church  Quarrel — Visits  an  Old-time  Method- 
ist—  His  First  Sabbath  on  the  New  Charge — Efforts  with  Sin- 
ners— Repulsed — The  Second  Sabbath— Sharply  Criticised — A 
Week  of  Desperate  Struggling  for  Victory — The  Third  Sab- 
bath— Victory  and  How  It  Came — Goes  on  Invitation  of 
Methodist,  Baptist,  and  Presbyterian  Ministers  to  Labor  in 
Another  Place — His  Method  of  Work — Strong  and  Persistent 
Opposition — Baptist  and  Presbyterian  Ministers  Start  Separate 
Services — Opposition  Overcome — Glorious  Results  of  Fidelity 
to  God — Preaching  Holiness  Conducive  to  the  Awakening 
and  Conversion  of  Sinners — A  Tea  Party  Turned  into  a  Re- 
vival    129-138 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Leading  a  Brother  Minister  into  the  Experience  of  Perfect  Love — 
An  Illustration  of  His  Method  with  Seekers — Invited  to  Labor 
on  the  Minister's  Charge — How  to  Get  Ready  for  a  Revival — 
The  Sanctified  Minister  Preaching  Holiness — Many  Sanctified — 
Mr.  Redfield  Goes  to  His  Aid — Conversation  with  the  Pastor — 
Revival  Efforts  Begin — Visitation — An  Infidel  and  His  Wife 
Converted — The  Whole  Town  Awakened — Many  Converted — 
Nearly  all  Testify  that  Their  Convictions  Dated  from  the  Time 

the  Pastor  Began  to  Preach  Holiness — Mr.  R goes  to  Labor 

in  Another  City — Proselyting  Ministers  Oppose  His  Work — 
Wicked  Persecution  from  a  Universalist  Preacher — The  Perse- 
cuting Preacher's  Death  from  Delirium  Tremens  ....  139-147 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Overworked — Severe  and  Protracted  Illness — Going  Home  to 
Die— His  Sickness  Not  unto  Death,  but  for  the  Glory  of  God 


viii.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

— His  Own  Account  of  This  Experience— A  Remarkable  Vision 
— Tells  of  the  Triumphant  Death  of  Two  Sisters— Recovering 
From  His  Illness — Preaches  in  New  York  City — Dines  at  Dr. 
Palmer's — Relates  an  Account  of  the  Vision  He  Had  Dur- 
ing His  Sickness — Mrs.  Palmer's  Opinion  of  Such  Experiences 
— Death-bed  Incidents  Related 148-152 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Entering  the  Evangelistic  Field  Again — Hope  for  the  Church  Re- 
vived— Invited  to  Labor  on  the  Charge  of  a  Brother  Minister 
Where  a  Revival  Wasin  Progress — The  Revival  Stopped — Leav- 
ing the  Place  Under  Divine  Direction — Cause  of  the  Work 
Ceasing — Visitations  of  Judgment — Goes  to  Another  and  a  Pe- 
culiar Field — Incidents  in  Visitation — Method  of  Work — A 
Minister's Oppositionand  Discourtesy — Favorable  Results — At- 
tending a  Camp  Meeting — Counseled  by  Worjdly-wise  Preach- 
ers— Adopts  their  Counsel — Shorn  of  Strength — Plain  Dealing  by 
a  Godly  Colored  Man — Power  Restored — The  Lesson  Learned 
— Another  Field — A  Clergyman  Invested  with  Authority  to 
Use  the  Rod  Attempts  to  Intimidate  the  Young  People,  and  so 
Deter  Them  from  Attending  Mr.  Redfield's  Meetings — Opposi- 
tion Overruled  for  Good — Visits  the  Charge  of  One  of  the  Min- 
isters Who  Counseled  Him  at  the  Camp  Meeting — State  of  the 
Work — Mr.  Redfield's  Exercises — Leaves  the  Place  under  an 
Impression  that  God  Had  Withdrawn  from  His  People  .  153-161 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Called  to  Middletown,  Conn. — Dreading  the  Conflict — State  of  the 
Work  and  Character  of  Mr.  Redfield's  Labors  Described  by  Su- 
perintendent Roberts — The  Work  Endorsed  and  Aided  by 
President  Olin — Three  Hundred  Students  Converted  at  the 
Church — They  Form  Praying  Bands  and  Carry  on  the  Work  in 
the  College — President  Olin  Undertakes  to  Give  a  Ten  Minutes' 
Address  to  the  Students — The  Minutes  Run  into  Hours — The 
Address  Published  as  One  of  Dr.  Olin's  Most  Masterly  Intellec- 
tual Productions — Four  Hundred  Conversions  in  All — Twenty- 
six  of  the  College  Students  Become  Ministers — William  C.  Ken- 
dall Here  Learns  the  Art  of  Soul-Saving — Mr.  Redfield  spends 
a  Sabbath  in  New  Jersey  and  Preaches  for  an  Absent  Pastor — 
Goes  to  Labor  in  Another  Church  in  the  Same  State — Effects 
of  His  Preaching — Embarrassed  by  Questions  Concerning  His 
Domestic  Trouble — Requests  an  Interview  with  Two  Presid- 
ing Elders — Counseled  to  Get  a  Divorce — The  Divorce  Ob- 
tained   162-166 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Mr.  Redfield's  Pastor  Opposing  Him— A  Faithful  Presiding  Elder 
Takes  His  Part — Character  ofThose  Who  Opposed  the  Holiness 
Work — Features  of  the  Holiness  Revivals — Laboring  to  Main- 
tain Himself  and  Preach  the  Gospel  without  Charge — Invited 
to  Assist  Caleb  Lippincott — Opposition  from  Universalists — 
Slandered  by  Their  Paper— Defends  Himself— The  Tide  Turns 
— Returns  to  New  York  City — Successful  Labors — A  Prosper- 


CONTENTS.  ix. 

PAGE. 

ous  Revival  Killed  by  an  Untimely  Marriage  Ceremony — Labors 
in  Another  of  the  City  Churches — Five  Hundred  Added  to  the 
Church — Encouragements — Peck's  "Central  Idea  of  Christiani- 
.  ty" — The  Men  Enlisted  in  the  Holiness  Controversy — Mr.  Red- 
field  Goes  to  Philadelphia — Laboring  in  St.  George's  M.  E. 
Church — The  Pastor  Enters  Heartily  into  the  Work — Another 
Minister  Opposes — The  Truth  Triumphant — Invited  to  Another 
Church  to  Preach  on  Holiness — A  Great  Work — Wonderful 
Scenes — Meetings  Abruptly  Closed  by  the  Frightened  Pastor — 
Preaches  in  Two  Other  Churches — Meetings  in  Private  Houses 
— A  Glorious  Work — Visits  Many  Places  Briefly — Many  Saved  .  167-175 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Mr.  Redfield  Visits  Long  Island  Again — Revivals  Break  Out  in 
Various  Places — Visits  the  Former  Home  of  Freeborn  Garrett- 
son — Meets  Mr.  Garrettson's  Widow — A  Token  of  Friendship 

— Fifty  Saved — Revival  in  C In  the  Suburbs  of  New  York 

Again — Leaves  After  a  Comparatively  Barren  Season  of  Labor 
— Peculiar  Leadings  toward  Cincinnati — Goes  to  Goshen — Op- 
position from  the  Leading  Church,  the  Secular  Press,  Rumsell- 
ers,  and  Infidels — Opposition  Checked  by  the  Interposition  of 
Providence — Proselyting  Efforts  and  How  Mr.  Redfield  Dealt 
with  Them — Incidents — Holiness  Tested — Triumph  in  Suffering 
and  Death — Mr.  Redfield  Proceeds  to  Another  Field — Dealing 
with  Rowdies — One  Hundred  Conversions — Visits  Long  Island 
Again — Disturbed  by  Rowdies — Demands  and  Secures  Order — 
Disturbers  Converted — Holiness  Meetings — Many  Saved  .  i76-l8$ 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

At  Chelsea,  Mass.— Waited  Upon  by  a  Committee — Unitarians  and 
Universalists  Offended — The  Methodist  Church  Rid  of  a  Unitari- 
an and  a  Universalist  Class-leader — The  Work  Progressing  in 
the  Face  of  Strong  Opposition — One  Hundred  Converted — Goes 
to  Boston — An  Embarrassed  Pastor — No  Opening  in  Boston — 
Returns  to  Chelsea — Invited  Back  to  Boston — Small  Beginning 
— Enlargement  and  Success — Strong  Endorsement — Invited  by 
the  Clergy  to  Spend  a  Year  in  Boston — An  Engagement  calls 
Him  Away  to  U , — Great  Interest  Awakened — Many  Con- 
versions— Proselyters  and  How  They  Worked — A  Local  Preach- 
er Who  Preached  Regularly  in  His  Sleep 186-190 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Goes  to  Newburgh — Preaches  the  Truths  of  Early  Methodism — Epis- 
copalians Shout  Over  the  New  Found  Joy  of  Holiness,  While 
Methodists  Get  Angry  and  Oppose  the  Work — Newburgh  Camp 
Meeting — Mr.  Redfield's  Labors  Crowned  with  Wonderful  Suc- 
cess— One  Hundred  Converted  in  a  Single  Night — Incidents  Il- 
lustrating Mr.  Redfield's  Method  with  Seekers  ....  191-196 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Visiting  a  Village  Near  Newburgh — The  Sabbath  Services  Conduct- 
ed by  the  Pastor — Mr.  Redfield  Exhorts  in  the  Evening  Serv- 
ice— An  Influential  Citizen  Reproves  the  Pastor — Mr,  Redfield's 


x.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Reflections  ami  Discouragements — Rev.  Fay  H.  Purdy — A  Man 
alter  Mr.  Redfield's  Own  Heart — A  Camp  Meeting  Incident — 
War  Against  Holiness— The  Sad  Results  Described— Mr.  Red- 
field  at  Peeksk ill— Successful  Labors I97-/99 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

At  the  Marine  Hospital  in  New  York — Method  with  the  Sailors — 
Favorable  Results — The  Lesson  Learned — Invited  by  the  Chap- 
lain to  Visit  Sing  Sing  State  Prison — His  Own  Account  of  His 
Labors  in  the  Prison — Incidents  of  Prison  Visitation — Obtaining 
Pardon  for  a  Prisoner — Holds  a  Series  of  Meetings  at  Sing  Sing 
— Opposition— Victory — Many  Saved 200-203 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

At  Bridgeport,  Conn.— A  Church  in  Debt  Twelve  Thousand  Dollars 
for  Pride — Desire  a  Revival  to  Help  Them  Out  of  Debt — Faith- 
ful Work— A  Frightened  Pastor — Fay  H.  Purdy  Assists  in  the 
Meetings — Mr.  Redfield  Accused  of  Bigotry  by  Pastors  of  Other 
Churches — Meets  the  Accusation  Wisely — Proselyting  Cured — 
Five  Hundred  Converted — Mr.  Redfield  Requested  to  Receive 
the  Converts  into  the  Church — Address  to  the  Candidates — Re- 
ceives One  Hundred — Four  Hundred  More  Soon  Unite — The 
Debt  Paid— Another  Church  Built— Plain  Dealing  Makes  Good 
Methodists — Anecdote  of  Bishop  Hedding 204-211 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Invited  to  New  Haven — Great  Spiritual  Conflict — Deciding  to  Go — 
His  Reception  and  Introduction — Defines  His  Purpose  in  Plain 
Terms — Begins  His  Work — Frightened  Methodists — Waited 
Upon  by  a  Sensitive  Class-leader — Encouraged  by  an  Ex-Mayor 
— Endorsed  by  a  Lawyer — The  Pastor's  Fears  Allayed — A 
Mocking  Rabble— Preaching  Wholly  to  the  Church— The  Offi- 
cial Board  Requests  Him  to  Change  His  Course  and  Labor  for 
Sinners — The  Reply — Mr.  Redfield's  Manner  of  Convincing  the 
Critics — Meetings  Appointed  for  Seekers  of  Holiness — Believers 
Sanctified — The  Revival  Breaks  Out  in  Power — Hundreds  Con- 
verted—The Work  Spreads  into  Other  Churches — One  of  them 
Receives  Four  Hundred  Accessions — The  Revival  Reaches  the 
College — Many  Students  Converted — Fruits  of  the  Revival — Fif- 
teen Hundred  Converted 212-217 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Invited  to  Stamford,  Conn. — A  Conversation  with  the  Pastor — Be- 
ginning His  Work— The  Pastor  Criticises  and  Objects  to  His 
Method — Allowed  to  Go  on  in  His  Own  Way — Testimonies  En- 
dorsing the  Work — A  Doctor  Offended — Advising  that  Mr. 
Redfield  Be  Shut  Up— The  Work  Goes  on  in  Power  .  .  218-220 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Attending  a  Camp  Meeting — Remarkable  Illustration  of  the  Power 
of  Grace  to  Save — Experience  of  an  Indian  Preacher — Story  Re- 
lated by  the  Son  of  an  Indian  Chief— Mr.  Redfield  Attends  An- 


CONTENTS.  xi. 

PAGE 

other  Camp  Meeting — Meets  the  Converted  Son  of  a  Jewish  Rab- 
bi— Story  of  the  Converted  Jew — Method  with  a  Man  in  De- 
spair Over  the  Doctrine  of  Election — A  Holiness  Meeting  in  a 
Private  House — Strange  Conduct  of  a  Gentleman  Boarder — A 
Man  Forsaken  of  God 221-225 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Invited  to  Return  to  Stamford — Condition  of  Methodism  in  That  Vi- 
cinity— Meetings  Forced  to  a  Close — The  African  M.  E.  Church 
Opened — A  Glorious  Work — Returns  for  One  Service  to  the 
Closed  Church — A  Young  Preacher  Seeks  Holiness — Invites  Mr. 
Redfield  to  Visit  His  Charge  Five  Miles  Away — A  Conversa- 
tion Between  Them — The  Invitation  Accepted — The  First  Serv- 
ice— The  Young  Preacher  Seeking  Holiness — A  Time  of  Won- 
derful Power —Skeptics  Awakened — Glorious  Times — Mr.  Red- 
field  Goes  to  a  Small  Village  to  Help  a  Conference  Preacher — 
Bad  Condition  of  Affairs — A  Short  Stay — Attending  a  Camp 
Meeting  in  Central  New  York — Opposition  to  Holiness — A 
Sermon  Against  the  Wesleyan  Doctrine  Introduces  Much  Con- 
fusion— A  Speech  from  Rev.  Hiram  Mattison — Sanctified  by 
Progression — Brother  Purdy  Endeavors  to  Calm  the  Storm — 
Purdy's  Test  and  How  it  was  Received- -Mr.  Redfield's  Reflec- 
tions— Seeking  Greater  Power  to  Fit  Him  for  the  Work  to  Re 
Done 226-230 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

A  Visit  to  Syracuse,  N.  Y. — Re-appearance  of  His  Old  Sign — This 
Regarded  As  a  Sure  Token  of  a  Gracious  Revival — Returns  to 
New  York — Soon  Re-called  to  Syracuse — Experiences  a  Singu- 
lar Manifestation  on  the  Way — Meetingsat  Salina — State  of 
the  Work — Strange  Phenomena — Mr.  Redfield's  Study  of  These 
Exercises  and  His  Method  of  Dealing  with  Them — His  Advice 
Concerning  Them — Reflections 231-237 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Labors  at  Salina  Continued — Preaching  Holiness — Discovers  That 
the  People  Are  Not  Ready  for  That  Experience — Preaches  on 
Justification — Finds  That  He  Has  Made  a  Mistake  Again — Be- 
gins to  Preach  the  First  Principles  of  the  Kingdom  of  God — 
Burdened  for  Souls — Demonstrations — The  Curious  Investigating 
the  Strange  Phenomena,  and  Endeavoring  to  Account  for  Them 
— Attempting  to  Imitate  the  Demonstrations — Experience  of  a 
Unitarian  Lady — Mr.  Redfield's  Thoroffgh  Dealing — Conversa- 
tion with  a  Unitarian  Minister — The  Unitarian  Minister  Pub- 
licly Endorsing  the  Meetings — Mr.  Redfield  Exposes  His  Infidel- 
ity— Results  of  the  Salina  Revival 238-242 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

Requesting  the  Privilege  of  Holding  Meetings  in  the  Church  of  a 
Methodist  Pastor  in  Syracuse — The  Denial — A  Call  from  Pal- 
myra— Incidents  on  the  Way — Stops  at  the  Residence  of  Fay  H. 
Purdy  on  Reaching  Palmyra — Purdy's  Account  of  the  State  of 


xii.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

the  Work— Mr.  Rcdfield  at  His  Boarding  Place— Meets  Brother 
B Brother  B 's  Devotions — Mr.  Kedficld  goesto  Morn- 
ing Service  to  Hear  the  Pastor  Preach — Hears  a  Commotion  in 
the  Basement  of  the  Church— "Awful  Times"— The  Pastor  Tried 
Over  Brother  B 's  Exercises — A  Conversation  with  the  Pas- 
tor -Mr.  Kedficld  Goes  with  Him  to  Dinner — Further  Conver- 
sation about  Brother  B 's  Exercises— The  Pastor  Agrees  to 

Stand  by  Brother  B Endorses  Him  at  the  Evening  Serv- 
ices— Greatly  Blessed — Loses  His  Strength — War  Begins  in  the 
Church — Attendance  Increases — The  Work  goes  on  in  Power — 
Thirty  Converted  in  One  Meeting — Five  Hundred  Conversions 
in  a  Few  Weeks — Other  Fruits  of  the  Revival 243-249 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

A  Call  from  a  Congregational  Church  in  Syracuse — The  Call  Ac- 
cepted— Visits  Two  of  the  Deacons — Conversation  with  the 
Deacons — Beginning  the  Work — A  Deacon's  Protest — Mr.  Red- 
field's  Answer — The  Congregation  Vote  to  approve  Mr.  Redfield's 
Measures — The  Deacon  Renews  his  Opposition — The  Congre- 
gation Again  Sustain  Mr.  Redfield — The  Work  Goes  On — The 
Deacon  Makes  a  Startling  Confession — Two  Presbyterian  Elders 
Prostrated  by  the  Power — A  Young  Lady's  Confession — Remark- 
able Conversion  of  a  Unitarian  Lady — The  Unitarians  Alarmed 
—They  Send  for  Theodore  Parker— His  Stay  Cut  Short  by  a 
Storm  Which  Greatly  Damaged  the  Unitarian  Church — Fruit  Re- 
maining in  After  Years  ,  .  - 250-253 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Invited  to  Albion,  N.  Y..  by  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Kendall— Well  Received 
at  First — Marked  Manifestations  of  God's  Power — Prostrations 
— Commotion  in  the  Congregation — Some  Frightened  and  Some 
Angry — Mr.  Redfield  Charged  with  Mesmerizing  the  Prostrate 
Ones — Similar  Phenomena  Occur  Outside  and  Miles  Away  from 
the  Church — Mr.  Kendall  in  Full  Sympathy  with  the  Work — 
Wonderful  Success — An  Incident  Illustrating  Clerical  Hostility 
to  the  Work— Mr.  Redfield's  Feelings  Described  by  Himself— 
A  Searching  Sermon — Slandered  by  a  Brother  Minister — The 
Minister's  Evil  Designs  Exposed — Mr.  Redfield's  Observation 
Concerning  Opposers  of  Holiness — The  Origin  of  the  Free 
Methodist  Church — Further  Account  of  the  Minister  Who  Op- 
posed the  Albion  Revival — Incident  Illustrating  the  Thorough- 
ness of  Mr.  Redfield's  W,ork — Color  Distinctions  Done  Away — 
A  Letter  from  Mr.  Kendall — A  Letter  from  Dr.  Redfield  .  254-261 

CHAPTER   XLI. 

Goes  to  Bridgeport,  Conn. — Burdened  for  the  Work — A  Baptist 
Deacon  Sanctified — A  Great  Ingathering  of  Souls — A  New 
Church  Built — Incidents  of  the  Revival — Visiting  and  Laboring 
Amid  the  Scenes  of  His  Childhood — A  Prosperous  Beginning — 
The  Meetings  Abruptly  Closed  by  the  Pastor — Visiting  the 
Graves  of  His  Parents,  and  Other  Sainted  Dead — Weeping 
Over  the  Desolations  of  Zion 262-265 


CONTENTS.  xiii. 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  XLII. 

Invited  to  Henrietta,  N.  Y. — Meets  the  Presiding  Elder  on  the  Way 
— The  Elder's  Questioning  and  Remarks — The  Pastor,  Rev.  J. 
K.  Tinkham,  an  Agreeable  Co-laborer — Thorough  Work — 
Church  Members  Confessing  their  Delinquencies — Two  Infidel 
Sons  of  One  of  the  Members  Converted — They  Work  for  the 
Conversion  of  Others  with  Marked  Success — A  Minister  Oppos- 
ing the  Work — Mr.  Redfield's  Method  Brings  the  Opposition 
to  a  Close — The  Opposing  Minister  Saved — The  Sexton's  Ex- 
perience— Mr.  Purdy's  Assistance  in  the  Work — An  Interesting 
Letter — Mr.  Redfield  Goes  to  Work  in  Another  Field  at  the 
Request  of  the  Presiding  Elder — A  Desolate  Field — Work  in 
the  Presiding  Elder's  Family — A  Trifling  Pastor — An  Old  Min- 
ister of  the  Right  Stamp — Consecrating  for  Faithful  Work — 
Urging  Inconsistent  Church  Members  to  Take  a  Stand — Accused 
by  a  Local  Preacher  of  Insulting  the  People — Another  Public 
Denunciation — The  Local  Preacher  Accused  of  Crime — The 
Proof — The  Congregation  Vote  in  Favor  of  Having  the  Plain 
Truth  Preached — Urging  to  Action — Appealing  to  the  Sense  of 
Honor  in  Inconsistent  Professors — A  Tempest — Mr.  Redfield 
Newly  Commits  the  Work  to  God  —  A  Night  of  General 
Awakening  in  the  Community — A  Large  Ingathering  of  Souls 
the  Result 266-273 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

Another  Field — The  Melodeon  and  the  Choir — Beginning  at  the 
Foundation — Waited  Upon  by  a  Committee — Informed  of  Re- 
ports Concerning  His  Great  Wealth,  etc. — His  Answer — The 
Work  Deep  and  Extensive — Five  Hundred  Converted — A 
Yogng  Lady  Is  Converted  and  Leads  Eleven  Others  to  Christ 
in  Less  Than  an  Hour — The  Pastor  Seeking  Holiness — After- 
ward Compromises — Mr.  Redfield  Goes  to  Bath — Raising  the 
Standard  of  Holiness — The  Work  Breaks  Out  in  Power — 
Satan's  Device  to  Bring  it  into  Disrepute — Strange  Actions  of 
a  Doctor's  Wife — A  Converted  Jeweler 274-278 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

At  Buffalo,  N.  Y.— Labors  in  the  Niagara  St.  M.  E.  Church— 
Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts,  Pastor— State  of  the  Work— The  Re- 
vival Begins — Incidents — Mr.  Redfield  Talks  with  One  of  the 
Bishops — The  Bishop  Unfavorable  to  His  Work — Dr.  Stevens' 
Views  of  Luxuries,  etc. — A  Sharp  Conflict  in  the  Genesee  Con- 
ference over  the  Holiness  Issue — Position  of  Mr.  Roberts,  W. 
C.  Kendall,  and  Eleazer  Thomas — A  Lawyer's  Interference  with 
Mr.  Redfield's  Work— The  Work  Forced  to  a  Close— The 
Niagara  St.  Church  Sold  for  Debt — Becomes  First  a  Jewish 
Synagogue,  then  a  Masonic  Temple — Interesting  Letter  from 
Dr.  Redfield — Leaving  Buffalo  for  Townsendville — Assisting  J. 
K.  Tinkham — A  Glorious  Revival — From  Townsendville  to 
P B Revisiting  Syracuse — Building  a  Church — Op- 
position— Endorsed  by  the  Presiding  Elder — The  Third  M.  E. 
Church  Organized — The  Presiding  Elder's  Administration 
Criticised — Conference  Appoints  a  Preacher  to  the  Third 

2 


xiv.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Church — The  Conference  Preachers  Oppose  the  Freedom  of 
the  Spirit — A  Noble  Layman — History  of  the  New  S«»ciety — 
Finally  Becomes  Attached  to  the  Free  Methodist  Church  at  Its 
Organization — Mr.  Redfield  in  Burlington,  Vermont  .  .  .  279-284 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

Great  Revival  in  Burlington — Mr.  Purely  Prepares  the  Way — The 
Pastor  Favorable  to  Old-time  Methodism — Opposition  from 
Other  Churches — The  Work  Spreading — More  than  One 
Thousand  Converted — A  Second  Church  Organized — Attempts 
to  Impair  Mr.  Redfield's  Influence — Slanderous  Reports-  Mr. 
Redfield's  Influence  upon  the  Second  Church — A  Letter  from 
Rev.  R.  B.  Howard  in  "The  Congregationalist,"  Referring  to 
Dr.  Redfield  and  His  Work — A  Letter  from  the  Same  Writer, 
in  the  "California  Christian  Advocate" — Rev.  Howard  and  Dr. 
Goodell  Both  Converted  under  Mr.  Redfield's  Labors  at  Bur- 
lington—Letter  from  Mr.  Redfield  to  Rev.  W.  C.  Kendall- 
Engaged  with  Another  Physician  in  Establishing  an  Infirmary — 
A  Letter  Concerning  this  Enterprise — Another  Letter  Concern- 
ing the  Revival  in  Burlington,  and  a  Branch  Infirmary  Estab- 
lished There — Comments  on  the  Foregoing  Letters  .  .  .  285-291 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Second  Marriage — One  of  His  -Reasons  for  Marrying — The  Lady 
Who  Became  His  Wife— Married  at  Keesville,  N.  Y.— Influ- 
ence of  His  Marriage  upon  His  Work — In  the  Evangelistic 
Field  Again — At  Lima,  N.  Y. — A  Letter  Concerning  the  State 
of  Things  at  Lima  and  the  Character  of  the  Work — Leaving 
Lima — A  Card  from  Rev.  Woodruff  Post — Genesee  Conference 
Troubles — Opposition  to  Messrs.  Kendall,  Roberts,  Stiles,  M'- 
Creery,  and  Others — The  Laymen's  Camp  Meetings  at  Bergen, 
N.  Y.— Hostility  of  the  Church  Authorities— The  Church 
Takes  Advantage  of  a  Technicality  in  the  Article  of  Incorpora- 
tion and  Wrests  the  Camp  Ground  from  those  Who  Paid  for 
It— Before  the  Litigation  Is  Ended  the  Trees  Cut  off— Mr. 
Redfield  Suffers  from  this  Persecution 292-295 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 

Labors  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. — A  Presiding  Elder's  Opposition — The 
Pastor  Takes  His  Stand  Against  the  Elder — Scenes  of  Primi- 
tive Methodism  Re-appear — The  Pastor  Frightened — Says  the 
Meetings  Must  Stop — Other  Methodist  Pastors  Opposing  the 
Work — Three  Thousand  Dollars  Subscribed  toward  Building 
a  New  Church — Mr.  Redfield  Requested  to  Become  Pastor  of 
the  New  Society — Mr.  Redfield  Declines  the  Proposal— An 
Invitation  to  St.  Charles,  111. — Meetings  in  Rochester  Attended 
and  Endorsed  by  President  Finney — Results  of  the  Work  in 
Rochester — Mrs.  James  Vick — Mr.  Redfield  Writes  and 
Addresses  to  Samuel  Huntington  a  Sketch  of  His  Life — First 
Attempt  at  Self-vindication — Another  Letter  to  S.  Huntington 
— Leaving  Rochester — Visiting  William  C.  Kendall — Their  Last 
Visit,  and  Last  Earthly  Parting — Persecution  of  Mr.  Redfield's 
Friends — "The  Christian  Advocate"  Becomes  the  Organ  of  the 
Opposition — "The  Northern  Independent"  Opens  its  Columns 


CONTENTS.  xv. 

PAGE 

in  Defense  of  Primitive  Methodism — William  Hosmer — Rev. 
B.  T.  Roberts  Writes  on  "Old  School  Methodism,"  and  "New 
School  Methodism" — Charged  with  Unchristian  Conduct 
Because  of  Having  Written  those  Articles — His  Trial — The 
Sentence — Appeal  to  The  General  Conference — Mr.  Roberts 
Expelled,  the  Following  Year,  on  the  Charge  of  Contumacy — 
Proved  Innocent — A  Minister's  Testimony  Impeached — Mr. 
Roberts  Joins  the  Church  Again  on  Probation — The  Minister 
Who  Received  Him  Expelled  for  So  Doing — Other  Ministers  Ex- 
pelled for  Allowing  Mr.  Roberts  to  Speak  in  Their  Churches.  296-301 

CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

Mr  Redfield  Goes  to  St.  Charles,  111.— Rev.  David  Sherman— A 
List  of  Worthies — Results  of  the  Work — Forty  Sanctified — Clear 
Conversions — Experience  of  Charles  Elliott  Harroun — "The  St. 
Charles  Pilgrims" — Letter  to  Samuel  Huntington  ....  302-308 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 

Still  at  St.  Charles — Letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall,  Giving  a  View 
of  the  General  State  of  the  Work — Mr.  Redfield  in  Aurora,  111. 
— A  Goodly  Number  Experience  Perfect  Love — Recruiting  at 
Mackinaw  Island — Another  Letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall — 
Mr.  Redfield's  Views  Concerning  Separation  from  the  Church  — 
Goes  to  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis — A  Glorious  Work  Begins — A  Pas- 
tor's Jealousy  and  Opposition — Mr.  Redfield  under  Temptation 
to  Return  to  His  Old  Profession — Providentially  Restrained — 
Goes  to  New  London — Many  Blessed — From  New  London  to 
Jefferson,  Wis. — Labors  Attended  with  Blessed  Results — Hears 
of  the  Grievous  Fall  of  One  Who  Had  Been  a  Strong  Advocate 
of  Holiness — Labors  at  Waukesha — Many  Saved — Visit  to 
Appleton,  Wis. — The  Seat  of  Lawrence  University — Professor 
Blair  and  Rev.  Wm.  McDonald — An  Infidel  Sentiment  in  the 
Community  and  in  the  University — Incidents  of  the  Work — 
Many  Saved — Mr.  Redfield  Revisits  St.  Charles — Attending  the 
St.  Charles  Camp  Meeting — The  Presiding  Elder  Friendly — Mr. 
Redfield  Preaches  on  Perfect  Love — A  Remarkable  Night — An 
Impromptu  Preachers'  Meeting  for  Holiness — Fifteen  Ministers 
Enter  into  the  Experience  During  the  Night — Results — The 
Work  in  "The  Fox  River  Region" 309-319 

CHAPTER  L. 

Letter  to  the  Kendalls — A  Letter  from  W.  C.  Kendall — Conspiracy 
of  Persecutors — Kendall,  Roberts,  and  M'Creery  the  Victims — 
Scene  at  the  Reading  of  the  Conference  Appointments — Letter 
from  Kendall  to  Roberts  Describing  His  New  Circuit — Letter 
to  A.  A.  Phelps — Mr.  Kendall's  Last  Appointment — Account  of 
His  Death — Scene  at  the  Funeral — Sketch  of  His  Character — 
Testimonial  from  Father  Coleman 320-327 

CHAPTER  LI. 

Mr.  Redfield  Again  in  St.  Charles,  111. — Letter  to  Brother  and  Sis- 
ter Kendall — Plan  for  Forming  a  Methodist  Colony  in  Texas — 
Goes  to  Elgin,  111. — The  Elgin  Pastor — Method  of  Conducting 
the  Work — Results — Invited  to  Marengo,  Ills. — Deciding  to  Go 
— A  Telegram  Announcing  Wm.  C.  Kendall's  Illness — Letter  in 


xvi.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Reply — At  Marengo — State  of  the  Work — Communication  from 
Su|>criiUcudent  Hart — A  Wonderful  Work — KourorFive  Hun- 
dred Converted — Whisky  Shops  Closed — Many  Sanctified — Con- 
version of  a  Village  Drayman — A  Physician  Sanctified  and  Enters 
the  Ministry— "Mother  Cobb" — "Mother  Combs" — The  Moth- 
er of  .Superintendent  Hart — The  Pastor  of  the  Church — Holi- 
ness Meetings  at  Brother  Bishop's — Mr.  Redfield  Receives  Tid- 
ings of  Mr.  Kendall's  Death — Letter  of  Condolence  to  Mrs. 
Kendall — Extiact  from  a  Letter — Fruit  of  the  Marengo  Revival 
Not  Properly  Cared  For 3^~Z37 

CHAPTER  LI  I. 

At  Woodstock,  111. — Condition  of  the  Work — Strange  Experience 
at  an  Altar  Service — Determined  Opposition  to  the  Work — 
Methods  Employed  to  Obstruct  the  Work — The  Pastor  Brought 
into  Close  Quarters — Takes  His  Place  Asa  Seeker  of  Holiness — 
Kffect  upon  the  People — A  Wonderful  Work  of  Grace — Results 
— Mr.  Redfield  Drawn  toward  St.  Louis — Planning  to  Go — At 
Queen  Anne  Prairie — St.  Charles  Camp  Meeting — Witness  of 
Perfect  Love  Raised  Up  by  Mr.  Redfield's  Labors — Liberty  Given 
Mr.  Redfield  at  the  Camp  Meeting — Sanctification  the  Keynote 
of  the  Meeting — An  Anti-Rum,  Anti-Tobacco,  and  Anti-Holi- 
ness Sermon — The  Beginning  of  Hostility  to  Holiness  on  the 
Fox  River  District  , 338-342 

CHAPTER  LIII. 

Mr.  Kedfield  Visits  Western  New  York — Attends  a  General  Quarter- 
ly Meeting — Encouragement— Returns  to  Illinois — Letter  to  Mrs. 
Kendall — Attending  Camp  Meeting  at  Coral,  111. — Presiding 
Elder  Crews — Holiness  Work  the  Prominent  Feature  of  the 
Meeting — The  Sunday  Afternoon  Services — The  Presiding  Eld- 
er Sanctified — Preparing  to  Visit  St.  Louis — Visits  St.  Charles 
on  the  Way  South — Letters  to  Mrs.  Kendall 343~3So 

CHAPTER  LIV. 

A  Farewell  Prayer  Meeting — A  Stop  at  Princeton,  111. — Another 
Letter  to  Mrs.  Kendall — A  Week  at  Burlington,  Iowa — Reaches 
St.  Louis — Boarding  at  Hotels — Looking  for  a  Northern  M.  E. 
Church — Goes  to  the  Ebenezer  Church — Presents  Letters  of  In- 
troduction and  of  Membership  to  the  Pastor — Preaching  in  St. 
Louis — Pawning  His  Watch  to  Pay  a  Board  Bill — A  Jew  Acts 
the  Part  of  the  Good  Samaritan — Way  to  Public  Labor  Hedged 
Up — Visitation — Good  Results — Invited  to  Preach  in  a  Colored 
People's  Church — Labors  Greatly  Blessed — Preaching  Occasion- 
ally in  Ebenezer  Church — Conversation  with  the  Pastor — Invit- 
ed by  the  Quarterly  Conference  to  Hold  a  Series  of  Meetings 
in  Ebenezer  Church — Beginning  the  Work — Checked  by  the 
Pastor — A  Telling  Sermon — Letter  from  the  Official  Board  Re- 
questing Mr.  Redfield's  Dismissal — Conversation  with  the  Pas- 
tor— Suspicion  on  the  Part  of  Many  That  the  Pastor  was  Re- 
sponsible for  This  Action  of  the  Board  35'-359 

CHAPTER  LV. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Redfield  Take  Their  Letters  from  Ebenezer  Church— 


CONTENTS.  xvii. 

PAGE 

Resolutions  Passed  by  Ninety  Members — Calling  for  Church 
Letters — After  Granting  Twenty  Letters  the  Pastor  Refuses  to 
Give  More — Confesses  Himself  the  Author  of  the  Letter  Pur- 
porting to  Come  from  the  Official  Board — A  Ministerial  Fraud 
—Comment  on  the  Resolutions — Letter  to  "The  Northern  Inde- 
pendent"— Comments  on  This  Letter ^60-365 

CHAPTER  LVI. 

Mr.  Redfield  Asked  to  Become  Pastor  of  the  Ninety  Members  Who 
Had  Seceded  from  Ebenezer  Church — The  Keply — Efforts  to 
Organize  with  the  Presiding  Elder's  Sanction — Disapproved  by 
the  Elder — Mr.  Redfield  Charged  by  the  Pastor  of  Ebenezer 
Church  with  Splitting  the  Church — The  Reply — Letter  Request- 
ing an  Interview  with  Mr.  Redfield  at  the  Office  of  the  "C.  C. 
Advocate" — Mr.  Redfield's  Letter  in  Reply — Another  Letter 
from  M.  E.  Pastors — Pastor  Williams  Declares  War — Rumors 
of  Mob  Policy — Mr.  Redfield's  Illness — First  Attendance  at 
Church  on  Recovering — Resuming  Work — A  Methodist  Church 
on  the  Congregational  Plan: — New  Appointments — Visitors 
from  Abroad  and  Their  Reports — The  Conflict  in  St.  Louis — Mr. 
Redfield's  Correspondence — Mental  Conflicts — An  Incident  in 
Mr.  Redfield's  Personal  Experience 366-380 

CHAPTER  LVII./ 

Tidings  from  Western  New  York — Resolutions  of  the  Laymen's  Con- 
vention Requesting  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  M'Creery  to  Labor  as 
Evangelists — Mr.  Roberts  Invited  by  the  New  Church  in  St. 
LouistoTakeMr.Redfield'sPIace,  That  He  Might  Be  Free  to  Go 
Elsewhere — Mr.  Roberts  in  St.  Louis — New  Organization  Per- 
fected— The  Rule  against  Slavery — Joseph  Wickersham,  Who 
Had  Freed  $30,000  Worth  of  Slaves—Plea  for  Toleration  of 
Slavery  Baseless — Another  Resolution  Passed  by  the  Laymen's 
Convention — Reading  Members  out  of  the  Church — Resolution 
of  the  Convention  Concerning  Its  Attitude  toward  the  Church — 
Mr.  Redfield's  Description  of  the  State  of  Affairs  at  This  Time 
in  St.  Louis — The  New  Society  in  St.  Louis  Pass  Resolutions 
Concerning  Mr.  Redfield — The  Editor  of  "  The  Central  Chris- 
tian Advocate  "  and  the  Pastor  of  Ebenezer  Church  Secure  a 
Promise  from  Dr.  Redfield  not  to  Have  the  Resolutions  Pub- 
lished, at  the  Same  Time  Agreeing  to  Publish  Nothing  Them- 
selves Concerning  Their  Troubles — A  Slanderous  Article  Which 
Soon  Appeared  in  the  "Advocate" — A  Reply  Prepared  by  a 

Committee— The  "Central  Advocate"  Refuses  to  Publish  It 

The  "  St.  Louis  Christian  Advocate,"  Organ  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
South,  Publish  the  Reply — A  Copy  of  the  Reply  as  Published — 
Mr.  Redfield  Starts  for  Quincy,  111. — Soliloquizing  on  the  Way 
— Arrival  at  Quincy-*-The  Publication  Preceded  Him — Requested 
to  Deposit  His  Lettei  and  Stand  a  Trial — His  Reply— President 
and  Agent  of  the  College  Go  to  St .  Louis  to  Ascertain  the  Facts 
— They  Confer  with  None  but  Mr.  Redfield's  Accusers,  and  Are 
Convinced  That  He  Is  in  the  Right — The  Way  Open  for  Work — 
A  Lady's  Experience  and  Dream — Beginning  the  Work  in  Quincy 
— A  Baptist  Minister  Sanctified — An  Incident — Letter  to  Brother 
and  Sister  Foote 3^1-395 


xviii.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  LVIII. 

Wisdom  of  Mr.  Redfield's  Refusal  to  be  Tried  by  the  Ebenezer 
Church— Policy  Pursued  in  Other  Trials— Mr.  Redfield  Takes  His 
Letter  Again  and  Temporarily  Deposits  It  in  the  Southern  Church 
— Accused  of  Compromising  His  Anti-slavery  Principles — 
Staunch  Friends  Desert  Him — Ex-Bishop  Hamline's  Attitude — 
Mr.  Redfield  Goes  East — Hand-bills  Charging  Him  and  the  New 
Society  with  Being  Slave-holders — Rev.  Seymour  Coleman — 
Camp  Meeting  Near  Sycamore,  111. — Holiness  the  Theme — 
Father  Coleman's  Preaching — Holiness  Testimonials  Referring 
to  Dr.  Redfield's  Labors— The  Presiding  Elder  Hurt— Reproves 
These  Testimonies — The  Elder's  remarks  Published  in  the  "N. 
W.  Christian  Advocate" — A  Conversation  Called  Forth  by  the 
Elder's  Testimony — A  Camp  Meeting  near  Aurora,  111. — Benja- 
min Pomeroy — Father  Coleman  at  His  Best — Dr.  T.  M.Eddy — 
Father  Coleman  on  Sunday  Afternoon — Hon.  Benjamin  Hack 
ney  Experiences  Entire  Sanctification — His  Testimony — Another 
Camp  Meeting  near  Coral,  111. — Mr.  Redfield  Present — Results 
of  the  Camp  Meetings — E.  P.  Hart  and  J.  H.  Richardson 
Recommended  to  the  Conference  by  the  Rockford  District — 
Presiding  Elder  H.  Opposes  Their  Reception  on  the  Ground  That 
They  Are  ''Tainted  with  Redfieldism" — Mr.  Hart  Admitted  and 
Mr.  Richardson  rejected — Richardson  Gpes  to  Minnesota  on  a 
Presiding  Elder's  Invitation,  and  Becomes  a  Successful  Minister 
—Mr.  Hart  Still  "Tainted  with  Redfieldism,"  and  Spreading  It  in 
His  Labors  as  a  General  Superintendent  of  the  Free  Methodist 
Church 396-403 

CHAPTER  LIX. 

The  Author,  Then  a  Local  Preacher,  Invited  to  Hold  Meetings  on  Mt. 
Pleasant  Circuit — The  Invitation  Accepted — The  Work  Moving 
— Help  Needed — Mr.  Redfield  Sent  for — Conditions  on  Which  He 
Would  Come- -ConditionsAccepted — Beginning  His  Work — Man- 
ner of  Procedure  Described — A  Powerful  Sermon  on  the  Judg- 
ment— Eighty  Seekers  at  the  Altar — The  New  Pastor  Introduced 
— Sunday  Services — Results — Preaching  Prematurely  on  the 
Way  of  Faith — Going  Deeper — An  Eloquent  Discourse  on  the 
'•Final  Catastrophe  of  the  Earth" — Mr.  Redfield  returns  to  St. 
Charles— The  Work  Continues  Three  Weeks  Longer— A  Presi- 
ding Elder's  Instructions  as  tq  How  and  When  to  Shout — Results 
of  the  Meetings — One  Hundred  Converted  and  Seventy-five 
Sanctified — A  Sunday  Night  Scene  in  the  Church — The  Pastor's 
Confession — Asking  the  Prayers  of  the  Congregation — A  Terrible 
Struggle  with  Conviction — Rendering  a  Wrong  Decision.  .  404-412 

»• 
CHAPTER   LX. 

Return  to  St.  Charles — Attitude  of  the  Preacher  in  Charge — Sent  to 
Guard  the  Pulpit  against  Redfield  and  Coleman — Sacrificing  Men 
for  the  Good  of  the  Church — Mr.  Redfield  Invited  into  the  Bap- 
tist Church — Beginning  His  Labors — The  Church  Closed 
Through  the  Influence  of  the  Methodist  Pastor — The  Universal- 


CONTENTS.  xix. 

PAGE 

1st  Church  Opened — Reading  Members  Out  of  the  Methodist 
Church  for  Going  to  Hear  Mr.  Redfield  Preach — New  Way  of 
Conducting  a  Methodist  Prayer  Meeting — Trustees  Read  Out  of 
the  Church — False  Swearing — Prayer  Meetings  at  Brother  Foote's 
— Letters  Written  by  Mr.  Redfield 41^-418 

CHAPTER  LXI. 

Dr.  Redfield  Returns  to  St.  Louis — Spends  an  Evening  with  the 
Writer  before  Starting — Reviews  His  Life  Work — Painful  Sur- 
prise on  Reaching  St.  Louis — The  New  Society  Greatly  De- 
pleted—The Causes— Effect  of  This  Disaster  upon  Mr.  Redfield 
— Suffers  a  Paralytic  Stroke — Ceases  from  Public  Labors 
During  the  Winter — Under  Medical  Treatment  —Able  to  Preach 
Again  in  the  Spring — State  of  the  Work  in  Several  Places- -Mr. 
Redfield  Consulted  as  to  What  Should  Be  Done  with  Converts 
— His  Views  as  Given  by  Himself — Mr.  Redfield's  Encourage- 
ments— Mary  Ferguson — Correspondence.  419-430 

CHAPTER  LX1I. 

Laymen's  Convention  at  Olean,  N.  Y. — Every  Charge  in  the  Genesee 
Conference  Represented  by  a  Delegate — The  Free  Methodist 
Church,  Which  Had  Been  Organized,  Represented  by  a  Delegate, 
Who  Was  Invited  to  a  Seat  in  the  Convention — Petitions  to  the 
General  Conference — Resolution  Endorsing  the  "Earnest  Chris- 
tian"— Report  of  the  Committee  on  Resolutions — A  Resolution 
Concerning  Adherence  to  the  Church — Remarks  by  J.M'Creery, 
T.  B.  Catton,  Wm.  Hart,  B.  T.  Roberts,  S.  K.  J.  Chesbro  and 
J.  W.  Reddy — Mr.  Redfield  Watching  Genesee  Conference  Pro- 
ceedings from  St.*  Louis — Letter  from  St.  Louis 43I-439 

CHAPTER  LXIII. 

Dr.  Elias  Bowen's  Account  of  the  General  Conference  of  May,  1860, 
and  Its  Treatment  of  the  Appeal  Cases — Review  of  General 
Conference  Proceedings  by  Wm.  Hosmer  in  the  "Northern  Inde- 
pendent"— Difficulties  in  the  West — Preachers  Shut  out  of 
Churches  and  School-houses — Severe  Persecutions — Trial  and  Ex- 
pulsion of  the  Bishop  Family — An  Impromptu  Love-feast — Mon- 
day Night  Holiness  Meeting  at  Father  Bishop's,  Led  by  Father 
Coleman — Advice  Concerning  the  Church  Troubles — Failure  of 
General  Conference  to  Re-instate  the  Proscribed  Ministers — Deci- 
sions against  Bishops  Who  Presided  at  the  Trials — Laymen's  Con- 
vention at  St.  Charles,  III.,  in  July,  1860 — A  Similar  Convention 
Called  for  the  Same  Object  in  Western  N.  Y. — Minutes  of  the 
Illinois  Convention — A  General  Laymen's  Convention  at  Pekin, 
N.  Y. — Organization  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  and  the 
Adoption  of  a  Discipline — A  Laymen's  Convention  at  Aurora, 
111.  Adopts  the  New  Discipline — The  Preachers  Go  Forth  to  Or- 
ganize Free  Methodist  Churches — Mr.  Redfield's  Identification 
with  the  Organization  of  the  New  Church  a  Necessity.  .  .  440-452 

CHAPTER   LXIV. 

Mr.  Redfield  Returns  to  the  West — Zealous  Labors — Tour  of  Visita- 


xx.  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

tion  among  the  Scenes  of  His  Former  Labors — Rev.  E.  P.Hart 
Withdraws  from  the  M.  E.  Church  and  Takes  Work  under 
Mr.  Redfield— Mr.  Redfield  at  Aurora,  111.— Stricken  Down 
with  Paralysis — Weeks  of  Severe  Suffering  Follow — The  Trial 
of  His  Faith — A  True  and  Faithful  Fiiend — Improved  Health — 
A  Trip  East — Holds  Meetings  in  the  Free  Methodist  Church  in 
Buffalo — Correspondence — Return  to  Illinois — Attending  a 
Quarterly  Meeting — Outline  of  a  Remarkable  Sermon — Quar- 
terly Meetings — St.  Charles  Camp  Meeting — Hoping  for  Divine 
Healing — Mental  Conflicts — Leaves  Off  Preaching  Entirely — A 
Letter  Written  in  Great  Weakness  of  Mind  and  Body — Mr. 
Redfield's  Plan  for  a  Pilgrims'  Home — Attending  a  Camp 
Meeting  in  Ogle  Co.,  111.,  in  1862 — A  Scene  of  Confusion — Mr. 
Redfield  Equal  to  the  Emergency — A  Visit  to  Buffalo  and  Syra- 
cuse— Looking  to  Be  Healed  in  Answer  to  Prayer — Failing  in 
Mind — Returning  to  the  West — Attends  the  Illinois  Annual 
Conference— The  Last  Letter  of  His  Life — A  Third  Stroke  of 
Paralysis — Rapid  Ebbing  Away  of  Life — The  Death  Scene — The 
Funeral — The  Epitaph 453-464 

The  Conqueror  Crowned 465 


INTRODUCTION. 

BY    REV.  B.    T.    ROBERTS. 

DEAD  trees  can  be  made  into  blocks,  or  boards,  of  the 
same. length,  and  breadth,  and  thickness.  But  plant  two 
seeds  from  the  same  tree,  in  the  same  soil,  exposed  to  the 
same  influences,  and  they  will  grow  up  resembling  and  yet 
unlike  each  other.  You  can  easily  tell  them  apart.  Life 
abhors  uniformity. 

In  a  dead  church,  ministers  may  be  essentially  alike. 
They  may  all  go  through  with  the  same  routine  duties,  in 
the  same  manner,  and  with  the  same  results.  But  let  spiritual 
life  get  into  a  church,  and  men  are  raised  up  to  do  ministerial 
work  outside  of  the  regular  ministerial  channels.  The 
church  itself  may  recognize  but  one  class  of  ministers — it 
may  insist  upon  their  absolute  equality,  and  require  of  all  the 
same  service;  but  when  life  divine  comes  thrilling  through 
its  members,  some  will  break  through  all  their  regulations, 
and  exercise  the  functions  of  an  office  which  the  church  does 
not  recognize.  And  thus  in  face  of  all  human  provisions  to 
the  contrary,  the  Scriptures  are  fulfilled,  "And  God  hath  set 
some  in  the  church,  first  apostles,  secondarily  prophets, 
thirdly  teachers,  after  that  miracles,  then  gifts  of  healings, 
helps,  governments,  diversities  of  tongues." — i  Cor.  xii.  28. 
The  phrase  hath  set  denotes  a  permanent  arrangement.  In 
the  original  it  is  a  word  frequently  translated  "ordained." 
It  does  not  refer  to  a  short-lived  plan  that  was  to  last  for  but 

a  single  generation.     So  the  error  is  apparent,  of  the  assump- 

(i) 


2  INTRODUCTION. 

tion  that  there  were  but  twelve  apostles,  and  that  the 
apostleship  ceased  with  these.  In  fact  the  New  Testament 
speaks  expressly  of  other  apostles  besides  the  twelve.  The 
Church  of  England  has  an  order  of  ministers  which  it  calls 
"priests,"  for  which  order  the  gospel  of  Christ  makes  no 
provision.  Not  once  in  the  New  Testament  are  any  pf  the 
ministers  of  the  gospel  called  priests.  They  are  called  l>y 
a  great  variety  of  names,  but  this  is  not  found  among  them. 
A  priest  is  one  that  offers  sacrifices;  and  in  Christ,  the  High 
Priest  of  our  profession,  the  priesthood  as  a  ministerial  order 
ceased.  James  is  nowhere  in  the  New  Testament  called  a 
priest,  nor  is  Peter,  nor  Paul,  nor  any  other  minister  of  the 
gospel.  The  term  priest  is  applied  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment to  all  of  God's  people.  "Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are 
built  up  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up 
spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ." — i  Peter 
ii.  5.  "But  ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood." 
— v.  9.  So  Christians  are  required  as  priests  to  present  their 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice.  ( Romans  xii.  i.)  To  present  to  God 
broken  hearts  and  contrite  spirits, — for  these  are  sacrifices 
which  he  will  not  despise.  (Psalm  li.  17.)  To  abound  in 
good  works.  "But  to  do  good  and  to  communicate  forget 
not,  for  with  such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased."  (See  also 
Phil.  iv.  1 8. )  To  offer  praise  to  God.  "By  him  therefore  let 
us  offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that  is, 
the  fruit  of  our  lips,  giving  thanks  to  his  name." — Hebrews 
xiii.  15.  But  none  of  these  things  can  we  do  by  proxy.  No 
priest  can  step  between  us  and  God  to  do  them  for  us.  If 
not  done  in  our  own  proper  person,  and  from  our  own  free 
will,  they  are  not  done  at  all.  Others  may  persuade  us;  but 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

any  other  sacrifice  than  that  which  Christ  has  made  for  us 
once  for  all,  we  ourselves  must  make.  So  those  who  would 
be  real  Christians  must  reject  all  assumptions  of  priestly 
authority. 

Though  the  Church  of  England  does  not  recognize  the 
order  of  apostles  as  still  in  existence;  yet  from  the  ranks  of 
its  ministry,  John  Wesley  stood  forth  before  the  world  an 
apostle  sent  of  God. 

The  Methodist  Church  of  to-day  acknowledges  no  apos- 
tles, yet  William  Taylor  has  shown  himself  to  be  as  truly  an 
apostle,  as  was  St.  Paul  or  John  W^esley. 

Among  Independents,  Dwight  L.  Moody  has  shown  himself 
to  be  an  evangelist,  though  the  Independent  churches  know 
no  ministers  but  pastors. 

So  John  Wesley  Redfield  stood  forth  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  the  most  wonderful  evangelist  of  his  day, 
though  that  church  makes  no  provision  for  evangelists  among 
its  ministers. 

He  went  into  the  work,  because  of  an  overwhelming  con- 
viction from  God  that  this  was  his  calling.  Like  Paul,  his 
"own  hands  ministered  to  his  necessities";  and  when  he  felt 
called  of  God  to  go  to  a  place  to  hold  meetings  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls,  he  never  stipulated  that  he  should  receive  any- 
thing for  his  services,  or  even  that  his  traveling  expenses 
should  be  paid.  But  where  he  went  without  the  promise  of 
purse  or  scrip  he  never  lacked-anything.  The  Lord,  in  one 
way  or  another,  provided  for  his  wants. 

I  first  became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Redfield  when  I  was 
a  student  at  Middletown,  Connecticut.  He  held  a  protracted 
meeting  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  There  was  a 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

large  society,  but  a  low  state  of  religious  experience.  He 
preached  in  the  afternoon  to  the  church,  in  the  evening  to 
sinners.  A  great  excitement  was  soon  stirred  up.  Such 
preaching  and  such  praying  had  never  before  been  heard  in 
that  city.  Many  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the 
church  went  forward  for  prayers,  and  obtained  a  new  experi- 
ence of  entire  sanctification.  A  spirit  of  opposition  was 
manifested,  and  it  seemed  doubtful  for  a  time  how  the  tide 
would  turn;  but  Dr.  Stephen  Olin,  president  of  the 
University,  who  was  suffering  from  a  general  nervous  pros- 
tration, got  up  from  his  bed  and  went  out  to  hear  him.  He 
gave  the  work  his  strongest  endorsement,  saying  in  substance, 
"Brethren,  this  is  the  work  of  God  and  you  must  stand  by 
it." 

The  college  faculty,  and  the  church  generally,  did  stand 
by  it,  and  a  revival  remarkable  for  its  depth,  and  for  the 
number  of  its  converts,  was  the  result.  Some  twenty-five 
young  men  who  afterwards  became  preachers  were  convert- 
ed. The  whole  city  was  in  commotion  and  the  country  for 
miles  around.  The  influence  of  that  revival  is  still  felt,  not 
only  in  this  country,  but  also  in  Europe,  and  Asia  and  Africa. 
No  mortal  can  tell  where  a  mighty  wave  of  salvation  once 
set  in  motion  will  end. 

The  following  pages,  written  by  one  who  was  converted 
under  Dr.  Rcdfield's  labors,  will  give  the  reader  a  correct 
idea  of  the  wonderful  work  which  God  carried  on  through 
the  instrumentality  of  his  devoted  servant. 

We  have  heard  many  able,  distinguished  preachers,  but 
we  never  heard  another  who  would  stir  the  human  conscience 
to  its  depths  like  Dr.  Redfield.  His  statements  were  clear, 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

his  descriptions  vivid  and  eloquent;  but  his  appenls  to  the 
conscience  were  overwhelming.  He  made  those  who  would 
not  obey  God  feel  that  they  were  utterly  without  excuse. 

Those  who  were  justified  or  sanctified  wholly  under  his 
labors  were  not  easily  drawn  away  unto  the  gospel  of  expedi- 
ency. They  were  governed  by  principle  rather  than  by  poli- 
cy. Time-serving  preachers  did  not  like  his  converts.  They 
had  no  relish  for  religious  theatricals  or  church  festivals. 
They  were  hard  to  manage.  Hence,  Dr.  Redfield  generally 
encountered,  wherever  he  labored,  fierce  opposition  from 
ecclesiastics.  A  whole  city  would  be  moved  by  his  preach- 
ing, while  the  presiding  elder,  and  such  as  he  could  influence, 
were  doing  all  they  could  to  destroy  his  influence.  But  when 
once  started  the  work  went  so  deep  and  so  strong,  that  no 
degree  of  violence  permitted  under  our  laws  could  kill  it  out. 
All  through  the  land  are  still  to  be  found  those  who  were 
saved  through  his  instrumentality,  and  they  are  generally 
characterized  by  their  uncompromising  opposition  to  sin 
in  all  its  popular  forms;  by  their  firm  belief  in  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  by  their  clear,  strong,  definite  testimony. 

We  trust  that  this  book  will  be  extensively  read,  and 
that  it  will  carry  a  saving  influence  into  thousands  of  fami- 
lies. 

3 


AUTHOR'S    INTRODUCTION. 

IN  THE  month  of  January,  1858,  a  rumor  reached  the 
neighborhood  in  which  the  writer  lived,  four  miles  west  of 
Elgin,  Illinois,  that  a  remarkable  preacher  was  holding  re- 
vival meetings  in  the  Methodist  church  in  town.  Their 
curiosity  being  greatly  excited,  a  wagon  load  of  young  peo- 
ple, myself  among  the  number,  started  out  one  evening  for 
the  place  of  meeting  to  hear  the  great  preacher  for  them- 
selves. 

Though  we  arrived  at  an  early  hour,  we  found  the  house 
then  partly  filled,  and  long  before  the  time  for  the  service  to 
begin,  it  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Our  company 
found  seats  well  forward,  and  my  own  was  where  I  could 
see  every  one  who  came  in  at  the  door.  A  few  minutes 
before  the  appointed  time  of  service,  a  man  entered,  whose 
personal  appearance  instantly  commanded  my  attention.  He 
was  small  of  stature,  with  a  massive  head,  pale,  delicate 
countenance,  and  lustrous  eyes.  Softly  and  quietly  he  moved 
along  the  aisle  toward  the  pulpit  which  he  reverently  entered. 
He  laid  aside  his  wraps,  and  as  though  shrinking  from  the 
gaze  of  the  assembled  multitude,  he  knelt  for  a  few  moments 
in  silent  prayer.  His  presence  and  manner  thrilled  me 
though  he  had  not  yet  spoken  a  word.  The  congregation 
had  been  hushed  into  perfect  silence  by  the  same  subtile  in- 
fluence. At  this  time  I  was  unconverted,  and  I  had  not 
time,  nor  did  I  care,  to  analyze  my  impressions  of  the  man; 
but  from  that  moment,  however,  I  was  ready  to  listen  to  him 
with  the  profoundest  attention. 

He  arose  and  gave  out  a  hymn  with  clear  and  distinct 
enunciation.  The  reading  of  the  hymn  was  peculiarly  im- 
pressive. Though  a  familiar  one,  each  line  of  it  took  on  a 

(7) 


S  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

fullness  of  meaning  which  it  never  seemed  to  me  to  have 
before.  He  expressed  its  meaning,  not  only  by  the  intona- 
tions  and  modulations  of  a  remarkably  sweet  voice,  but  by 
his  countenance,  which  seemed  quietly,  but  forcibly,  to  utter 
the  same  sentiment. 

The  prayer  which  followed  was  more  impressive  still. 
The  deep  reverence  with  which  he  uttered  the  names  of  the 
divine  Being,  the  clearness  and  simplicity  of  the  language  he 
used,  the  definiteness  of  his  petitions,  and  the  humble  con- 
fidence of  his  manner,  completely  charmed  me. 

The  text  for  the  occasion  was,  Mark  viii.  36:  "What  shall 
it  profit  a  man  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ?" 

At  this  point  the  preacher's  manner  entirely  changed. 
His  style  became  abrupt,  startling,  and  was  characterized  by 
great  clearness  and  strength.  He  chose  the  most  forceful  and 
expressive  words.  His  sentences  were  short  and  crisp.  His 
dialect,  that  of  the  common  people.  His  method,  declarative 
and  descriptive. 

His  first  few  sentences  were  the  following: 

"There  are  persons  in  this  congregation  who  will  sell 
their  immortal  souls  for  two-and-sixpence.  Before  they  will 
lay  aside  a  galvanized  pewter  ring  they  will  run  the  risk  of 
losing  heaven.  There  are  others  here  who  will  sell  their 
immortal  souls  for  some  picayunish  office,  and  they'll  never 
get  as  high  as  constable." 

There  seemed  to  be  two  general  divisions  to  his  discourse 
— the  value  of  the  soul  as  estimated  ( i )  by  what  it  can  be 
purchased  for;  (2)  by  what  it  cost.  About  half  of  the  time 
was  spent  in  elaborating  each  point.  On  the  first  he  gradu- 
ally rose  higher  and  higher  in  the  estimate;  but  when  he 
reached  the  second,  his  eloquence  became  overwhelming. 
One  of  the  closing  passages  in  this  part  of  his  discourse  was 
as  follows: 

"The  angels  of  heaven  were  grouped  together,  endeavor- 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  9 

ing  to  estimate  what  would  be  the  cost  to  redeem  a  human 
soul;  but  all  in  vain.  The  red-fingered  lightning  played 
around  the  rocks  of  Mt.  Calvary,  endeavoring  to  trace  it  in 
letters  of  fire  there;  but  all  in  vain.  Only  one  thing  could 
express  it,  and  that  was  the  dying  groans  of  the  Son  of  God." 

My  most  vivid  recollections  of  the  man  are  as  he  appeared 
in  the  pulpit  that  evening.  In  one  of  his  most  impassioned 
utterances,  he  stood,  with  both  hands  raised  above  his  head, 
his  face  shining  as  with  a  halo  of  light,  and  his  whole  soul 
thrown  into  the  eloquent  thoughts  that  came  like  a  torrent 
from  his  lips. 

The  preacher  to  whom  I  listened  that  evening,  and  whose 
eloquent  words  and  impressive  appearance  I  still  recall  as 
vividly  as  though  what  I  have  described  occurred  but  yester- 
day was  the 

REV.  JOHN  WESLEY  REDFIELD, 

whose  biography  is  recorded  in  the  following  pages. 

The  impressiorr  produced  upon  me  that  evening  made 
this  man  of  God,  to  me,  an  interesting  study  during  the  few 
years  of  my  personal  acquaintance  with  him,  and  while  pre- 
paring these  pages  for  publication. 

His  mental  characteristics  were  peculiar.  The  intuitive 
faculties  predominated.  He  did  not  reason  to  conclusions 
like  most  men.  He  saw,  instantly,  what  many  strong  minds 
would  require  much  time  to  reason  out.  This,  doubtless, 
was  an  element  of  his  strength  and  success  as  an  evangelist. 
Difficulties  had  not  time  to  develop  and  ripen  before  he  was 
prepared  to  meet  them. 

He  read  men.  He  knew  what  were  the  determining  in- 
fluences upon  them.  This  gave  character  to  his  style  of 
preaching.  His  first  sermon  in  a  place  was  with  the  confi- 
dent positiveness  of  long  acquaintanceship.  This  thrilled 
men.  They  knew  that  he  knew  them.  When  this  is  as- 


io  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

sumed  by  the  weak,  it  is  repulsive  and  disgusting,  and  men 
will  not  listen  to  it;  but  when  one  speaks  from  this  intuitive 
knowledge,  with  the  unction  of  the  Holy  One,  their  respect 
is  challenged.  This  is  because  they  recognize  the  message 
to  be  truth. 

Another  element  of  his  character  was  that  of  experiment- 
al conformity  to  the  divine  will.  He  utterly  abandoned  him- 
self to  the  known  will  of  God.  There  was  no  reserve  in  his 
consecration.  Whether  in  the  light  or  in  the  dark,  favored 
or  frowned  upon  by  men,  to  his  advantage  or  disadvantage, 
in  peril  or  in  safety,  he  aimed  to  do  exactly  what  he  thought 
God  wanted  him  to  do.  One  of  his  peculiar  phrases  was, 
"the  exact  right"  He  dealt  with  men,  from  the  pulpit,  in 
the  altar,  and  in  private,  on  that  principle.  "  Calling  things 
by  their  right  names"  was  another  of  his  peculiar  phrases. 
He  did  not 

"Smooth  down  the  stubborn  text  to  ears  polite, 
And  snugly  keep  damnation  out  of  sight." 

With  him,  there  was  no  seeking  for  "honeyed  phrase." 
He  used  but  few  large  words,  and  those  such  as  were  in  com- 
mon use.  He  aimed  to  be  understood. 

Whether  naturally  or  acquired,  he  had  all  the  elements  of 
the  orator.  His  imagination  was  fervid,  quick,  broad,  and 
accurate;  this  made  his  mental  pictures  vivid  and  true  to  nat- 
ure. He  never  lacked  for  the  right  word;  this  helped  him 
to  express  himself  clearly.  His  elocution  was  perfect.  The 
framing  of  his  sentences,  the  order  of  his  thoughts,  his  gest- 
ures, the  modulations  of  his  voice,  the  expression  of  his  face, 
and  his  manner,  all,  were  in  harmony.  All  these  made  it 
possible  for  him  to  transfer  his  thoughts  to  the  minds  of  oth- 
ers with  accuracy  and  power.  So  complete  was  this,  that 
sometimes  his  audiences  forgot  themselves,  the  place  and  the 
speaker,  in  the  vividness  of  the  truths  to  which  they  were 
listening.  This  was  the  result  of  his  naturalness.  He  felt 
what  he  thought,  and  expressed  what  he  thought  and  felt. 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  n 

It  will  be  noticed  where  he  is  quoted  in  the  following  narra- 
tive, that  he  often  says,  "I  felt,"  where  others  would  have 
said,  "I  thought." 

Another  element  in  his  character  was  his  implicit  faith 
in  God.  No  doubts  respecting  God's  word  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  his  discourses.  With  him  there  was  no  apolo- 
gizing for  the  facts  or  the  truths  of  the  Bible.  Like  Abra- 
ham of  old  he  "believed  God."  In  his  public  addresses  he 
seemed  to  take  it  for  granted  that  all  men  believed  God. 
Such  faith  begot  faith;  and  the  discouraged  became  hopeful, 
and  the  weak  became  strong  in  his  presence.  A  minister, 
while  severely  criticising  his  methods  and  labors,  admitted 
that  he  would  rather  trust  his  own  child  under  Mr.  Redfield's 
preaching  than  under  that  of  any  minister  he  knew. 

Another  element  of  his  character  was  his  great  sympathy. 
Suffering  in  others  he  could  not  witness,  unless  he  could  as- 
sist in  relieving  it.  When  visiting  among  the  farmers,  the 
killing  of  animals,  though  for  food,  greatly  distressed  him. 
He  would  walk  his  room  in  agony  until  informed  that  it  was 
over.  He  shrank  from  inflicting  mental  pain,  and  only  from 
a  sense  of  duty  could  he  bring  himself  to  do  it. 

One  of  the  hardest  things  for  him  to  do  was  to  bid  fare- 
well to  his  friends.  He  has  been  known  to  take  a  night 
train  to  avoid  this.  This  trait  made  him  apparently  a  cow- 
ard. It  was  only  when  convinced  that  duty  demanded  it, 
that  he  could  do  the  severe  and  faithful  work  that  he  some- 
times performed.  This  accounts  for  many  strange  passages 
in  his  life  which  are  recorded  in  these  pages.  Those  who 
knew  him  only  as  he  appeared  in  public,  supposed  him 
brave  to  a  fault. 

Doctrinally  he  was  in  accord  with  the  standards  of  Meth- 
odism. He  often  called  upon  his  enemies  in  the  church  to 
show  wherein  he  was  unsound  in  the  faith.  Only  once  was 
this  attempted,  and  the  result  was  in  his  favor,  and  against 
his  opposers.  In  his  work  as  an  evangelist,  he  recognized  the 


12  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

office  of  the  truth.  He  believed  that  men  were  born  again 
by  the  word  of  God ;  that  they  were  sanctified  by  the  truth. 
He  was  careful  as  to  his  teachings,  especially  so  with  seekers 
for  salvation.  In  altar  services  he  often  took  more  time  to 
explain  the  way  than  he  did  for  the  season  of  prayer.  He 
held  his  prayer  services  to  definite  work.  The  nature  and 
fruits  of  repentance  were  kept  clearly  before  the  minds  of 
those  seeking  pardon.  The  nature  and  the  details  of  entire  con- 
secration were  kept  clearly  before  those  seeking  for  perfect 
love.  He  believed  in,  and  taught,  an  itemized  dedication  of 
all  the  seeker  possessed,  or  hoped  to  have,  to  the  service  of 
God.  Before  he  attempted  to  present  the  way  of  faith,  he 
would,  in  individual  cases,  carefully  test  the  purposes,  and 
motives,  and  desires  of  the  seeker.  All  these  he  would  bring1 

*  O 

to  the  standard  of  God's  word.  That  standard,  he  taught, 
is  the  absolute  and  unconditional  surrender  of  the  soul  to 
God.  He  taught  that  there  is  no  hope  of  reconciliation  with 
God  without  perfect  renunciation  of  sin,  and  acceptance  of 
Christ.  He  taught  that  there  is  no  hope  of  attaining  perfect 
love  while  there  is  the  least  reserve  in  the  aims,  or  desires, 
or  affections  from  the  will  of  God.  This  thoroughness  with 
the  seekers  often  caused  them  great  mental  suffering.  There 
was  no  attempt  to  shield  them  from  feelings  of  despair 
while  there  was  rebellion  existing  in  the  heart,  or  any  doubt 
of  surrendering  all  to  God.  This  was  what  made  those  who 
were  saved  through  his  instrumentality  so  definite  and  clear, 
and,  consequently,  strong.  The  transition  from  the  agony 
of  surrendering  to  the  peace  of  believing,  was  usually  so 
marked  that  it  thrilled  all  who  were  looking  on.  This  en- 
couraged even  the  impenitent  to  believe  that  if  they  started  to 
seek  Christ  they  would  succeed.  It  was  not  unusual  for  seekers 
to  make  that  transition  before  they  reached  the  altar  of  prayer. 
One  result  of  this  was  that  the  many  were  saved  soon,  and  but 
few  came  to  the  altar  more  than  once.  In  his  preaching,  he 
was  careful  in  his  enunciation  that  every  word  and  syllable 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  13 

should  be  heard  and  understood.  If  there  was  the  least  dis- 
turbance in  the  congregation,  by  the  moving  of  persons,  the 
crying  of  children,  or  the  shouts  of  the  saints,  he  would  wait 
in  silence  until  all  was  quiet  before  proceeding.  He  aimed 
to  present  the  truth  which  the  people  mostly  needed.  He 
had  no  time  to  spend  in  idle  speculations  or  fanciful  interpre- 
tations of  the  word  of  God.  He  waited  before  the  Lord,  in 
prayer,  until  he  felt  satisfied  that  he  knew  the  mind  of  the 
Lord.  The  consciousness  that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in 
this  gave  him  intense  pain,  and  caused  him  to  humble  him- 
self before  the  Lord.  When  duty  became  clear,  whether 
the  truth  to  be  preached  was  popular  or  unpopular,  accepta- 
ble or  unacceptable,  he  went  boldly  forward,  trusting  God 
with  the  results.  This  was  not  unattended  with  suffering, 
for  his  shrinking,  sensitive  nature  was  often  put  upon  the 
rack  by  it.  Coarse  natures  who  have  no  care  how  they 
make  others  feel  can  have  no  appreciation  of  his  feelings  at 
such  times. 

But  while  he  gave  the  truth  its  proper  place,  in  his  work, 
he  did  not  ignore  the  offices  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  believed 
it  the  work  of  the  Spirit  to  make  the  truth  effectual.  He 
believed  the  Christian  minister  might  have  his  immediate 
presence  and  aid.  He  gave  him  free  course  in  his  meetings. 
He  would  not  labor,  nor  dared  he  to  try,  where  this  was  not 
allowed.  He  was  more  particular  about  that  preparation  for 
his  pulpit  efforts  than  he  was  about  the  sermon.  The  Spirit's 
dispensation  was  illustrated  in  his  labors.  Many  and  varied 
were  the  manifestations  of  this.  There  were  often  mixed 
with  these  that  which  was  merely  human,  springing  from 
the  weakness  of  human  nature,  and  which  called  forth  the 
tenderest  sympathy  for  the  subjects  of  them,  and  the  most 
careful  dealing  with  them.  There  were  often,  also,  those 
which  seemed  to  be  Satanic.  He  believed  in  a  personal, 
intelligent,  powerful  devil.  He  expected  every  possible 
resistance  to  the  truth  and  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  he 


14  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

believed  himself  too  weak  to  contend  against  the  devil. 
When  such  manifestations  appeared,  instead  of  warring 
against  them,  he  prayed  for  more  of  the  Holy  Spirit's 
presence.  He  believed  in  the  all-conquering  power  of  the 
truth  and  the  Spirit;  and  that  where  victory  for  Jesus  is 
complete,  poor  human  nature  will  act  properly,  and  Satan's 
power  is  broken. 

Because  of  this  recognition  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
spiritual  among  God's  people  were  greatly  enlightened, 
strengthened,  and  often  wonderfully  moved  under  his  preach- 
ing. Such  people  understood  him  when  others  did  not,  and 
were  among  his  best  and  firmest  friends.  His  enemies  were 
among  the  worldly  and  time-serving.  He  was  accused  of 
dividing  the  church  in  his  later  years,  but  it  was  because  he 
left  no  middle  ground.  The  spiritual  became  more  so,  and 
they  who  would  not  yield  wholly  to  the  Lord  went  to  the 
other  extreme.  No  matter  what  the  opposition  or  prejudice 
in  the  way,  where  the  church  authorities  gave  him  freedom, 
almost  invariably,  he  was  victorious;  for  the  truth  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  conquered  all. 

He  was  developed  by  the  circumstances  and  experiences 
of  his  life.  The  rebellion  of  his  early  days,  the  providen- 
tial difficulties  which  grew  out  of  this,  and  the  mental  strug- 
gles through  which  he  passed,  were  used  by  God  to  prepare 
him  for  his  great  work.  In  the  following  narrative  it  will 
be  interesting  to  trace  the  process  by  which  this  was  effected. 

The  most  of  the  matter  for  this  volume  is  from  his  own 
recollections,  as  penned  by  himself,  in  the  last  days  of  his 
life,  after  having  been  disabled  for  active  labor  by  the  palsy. 
He  knew  he  was  rapidly  approaching  eternity.  With  the 
most  solemn  feelings,  he  carefully  reviewed  his  life  and 
labors.  It  would  have  been  pleasing  to  have  given  these 
recollections  in  his  own  words;  but  whether  it  was  natural 
with  him,  or  caused  by  the  paralysis  from  which  he  was  suf- 
fering, his  style  of  writing  was  so  unlike  that  of  his  preach- 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  15 

ing,  that  his  friends  would  have  doubted  the  genuineness  of 
them,  if  they  had  been  published  as  he  left  them.  Again, 
for  some  reason,  he  omitted  dates,  and  all  but  the  initials  of 
proper  names.  It  has,  for  this  reason,  been  very  difficult  to 
verify  some  of  the  most  interesting  details  of  his  labors.  I 
have  been  greatly  assisted  in  this  by  his  friends,  who  have 
contributed  much  that  is  valuable,  which  had  been  overlooked 
by  Mr.  Redfield,  and  who  have  also  loaned  me  the  use  of 
many  letters  written  by  himself  during  the  later  years  of  his 
active  ministry.  This  has  made  it  necessary  to  change  the 
style  from  the  autobiographical  to  the  biographical.  I  am 
much  indebted  to  the  assistance  of  these  friends,  and  espe- 
cially to  Mrs.  M.  F.  La  Due,  for  valuable  recollections  of  her 
own,  and  to  Rev.  W..T.  Hogg  for  his  assistance  in  the  finish- 
ing touches  to  the  work. 

The  beautiful  steel  engraving  which  faces  the  title-page 
is- contributed  by  Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts,  editor  of  the  Earnest 
Christian,  and  senior-general  superintendent  of  the  Free 
Methodist  Church.  The  engraving  represents  Mr.  Redfield 
as  he  appeared  in  the  days  of  his  strength. 

In  hope  that  the  following  narrative  may  perpetuate  the 
influence  of  this  remarkable  man  of  God,  and  that  through 
it,  though  dead,  he  may  still  speak,  I  send  it  forth  upon  its 
mission,  commending  it  to  the  kind  recognition  and  devout 
perusal  of  the  Christian  public. 


CHAPTER  I. 

JOHN  WESLEY  REDFIELD  was  born  in  Clarendon,  New 
Hampshire,  January  23,  1810.  On  the  night  of  his  birth 
an  esteemed  Christian  woman  dreamed  that  she  was  visited 
by  an  angel  who  told  her  to  go  to  the  home  of  the  Redfields 
and  she  would  find  there  a  new  born  son;  and  that  she  must 
announce  to  the  mother  that  he  must  be  named  John  Wesley. 
She  was  also  informed  that  this  would  be  assented  to  imme- 
diately by  the  mother,  who  would  respond,  "That  is  his 
name."  This  woman  did  as  she  was  bidden,  and  all  came  to 
pass  as  she  had  dreamed.  In  mentioning  this  in  his  journal, 
Mr.  Redfield  says,  "By  that  unlucky  name  was  I  baptized 
and  have  been  known  through  life." 

So  strongly  was  he  impressed  with  his  call  to  the  minis- 
try that  when  only  eight  years  of  age,  and  just  able  to  write 
legibly,  he  attempted  in  secret  to  compose  a  sermon.  When 
it  was  completed  he  borrowed  a  volume  of  Wesley's  sermons 
that  he  might  compare  his  production  with  them.  When  he 
saw  the  great  difference  between  them,  in  perplexity  and 
sadness  he  exclaimed:  "Oh,  I  can  never  preach!  I  don't 
know  anything  about  religion.  I  am  sure  I  never  can 
preach." 

So  persistently  did  the  impression  of  his  call  to  preach 
follow  him  in  his  childhood  that,  in  mature  years,  when 
attempting  to  run  away  from  it,  he  was  inclined  to  consider 
it  an  "  antenatal  mark." 

When  about  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age  he  was  in- 
formed of  his  mother's  impressions  concerning  him,  and  the 
dream  already  related.  So  great,  however,  was  his  aversion 
to  the  work  of  the  ministry  that  he  studiously  contended 
against  his  conviction  by  concealing  his  feelings  and  avoid- 
ing all  conversation  concerning  the  matter. 

(17) 


i8  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

When  between  thirteen  ami  fourteen  years  of  age  he  had 
such  alarming  views  of  his  sinful  state  that  he  feared  he  was 
past  all  hope  of  mercy.  This  fear  became  so  intense  at  one 
period  that  he  was  tempted  to  provoke  God  to  destroy 
him,  that,  without  the  guilt  of  self-murder,  he  might  learn 
the  certainty  of  his  fate,  and,  by  the  shortening  of  his  sinful 
course,  render  his  doom  less  aggravated.  He  had  been  seek- 
ing the  favor  of  God  in  a  secret  way  for  some  time,  but 
in  vain.  He  now  gave  up  hope,  not  knowing  any  other  way 
than  that  which  he  had  followed.  His  distress  of  mind  con- 
tinued without  abatement  until  he  overheard  some  Christian 
friends  speak  of  a  contemplated  camp  meeting,  which  they 
trusted  would  result  in  the  conversion  of  sinners.  At  this, 
hope  revived,  and  to  himself  he  said,  "  If  I  go,  I  too  may  be 
converted." 

He  obtained  permission  from  his  parents  to  go,  and  when 
the  time  arrived  he  was  on  the  campground.  His  attention 
was  directed  to  the  altar  before  the  stand,  with  the  remark, 
"  There  many  were  converted  last  year."  Almost  instantly 
his  heart  rebelled  against  the  thought  of  going  to  such  a 
place.  Even  in  his  last  days  he  would  express  his  astonish- 
ment at  that  manisfestation  of  rebellion  against  God. 

In  due  time  a  goodly  number  of  tents  had  been  erected, 
and  an  old  gentleman  invited  him  to  a  prayer  meeting  about 
to  commence  in  one  of  them.  He  went  and  was  asked  to 
kneel  writh  the  company.  He  did  so,  but  soon  felt  greatly 
mortified  at  the  thought  of  its  being  in  sight  of  every  passer- 
by. The  praying  seemed  childish,  if  not  ludicrous.  He 
made  up  his  mind  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  find  salva- 
tion there. 

In  process  of  time  the  erection  of  tents  was  completed, 
and  the  congregation  gathered  before  the  stand  for  the  first 
preaching  service.  The  sainted  Wilber  Fisk  was  in  charge 
of  the  meeting.  The  preachers  were  called  into  the  stand, 
and  the  service  commenced.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon 


His   CONVERSION.  19 

seekers  were  invited  into  the  altar,  and  the  troubled  boy  was 
found  among  them.  The  same  good  old  man  who  invited 
him  into  the  prayer  meeting  was  now  by  his  side,  and  tried 
to  instruct  him  in  the  way  of  salvation.  There  was  quite  a 
number  of  seekers  and  all  were  praying  lustily.  This  com- 
pletely absorbed  his  attention.  As  many^  others  have  done, 
he  began  to  criticise,  instead  of  praying.  In  relating  this  ex- 
perience he  says,  "  I  thought,  this  cannot  be  the  way  to  seek 
religion !  Why  can't  they  be  more  calm  and  rational  about 
it?  Certainly  they  will  never  be  able  to  think  their  way 
through  amid  so  much  noise  and  confusion!  At  least  I  can 
do  nothing  without  a  quiet  time  to  think."  Speaking  of 
this  in  his  last  days,  he  said,  "  How  little  did  I  understand 
that  all  reasoning  or  human  planning  was  useless  here!" 

But  he  soon  saw  that  this  apparently  irrational  way  and 
this  vociferous  manner  were  successful;  for  some  of  the 
seekers  were  getting  saved.  As  every  other  way  with  him 
had  failed,  he  at  last  thought  he  would  try  this  one.  So  he 
cried  aloud,  "  Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  But  he 
was  shocked  and  mortified  at  the  sound  of  his  own  voice. 
He  did  not  find  salvation  in  loud  prayers,  nor  was  he  finally 
converted  while  praying.  This  effort  to  pray  proved  a  good 
thing  to  him,  however,  in  one  respect;  he  was  now  fully  and 
publicly  committed  to  seek  the  Lord,  his  pride  was  humbled, 
and  he  was  fast  getting  down  where  Jesus  could  help  him. 
He  gave  up  all  his  experimenting  and  reasoning,  and  deter- 
mined to  take  the  narrow  way  at  every  cost. 

He  soon  left  the  altar  and  went  out  into  the  woods  alone. 
Under  a  large  tree  he  knelt  and  vowed  to  take  Jesus  for  his 
only  Saviour.  Speaking  of  this  experience,  he  says:  "In- 
stantly, as  I  ventured  on  Jesus,  my  burden  was  gone.  I  was 
filled  with  inexpressible  delight,  and  before  I  was  aware  of 
what  I  was  doing,  I  was  on  my  feet  and  shouting,  'Glory  to 
God'!  Shocked  at  this  strange  and  almost  spontaneous  ut- 
terance, I  said  to  myself,  'What  does  this  mean?  I  have 


20  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDKIELD. 

heard  the  Methodists  say,  "Glory  to  God,"  but  I  don't  know 
what  it  means!'  My  burden  was  all  gone.  Everything 
around  seemed  vocal  with  the  praises  of  God,  and  as  the 
Indian  said  in  similar  circumstances,  'The  trees  looked  glad, 
and  the  birds  sang  glad,  the  world  looked  glad,  and  I  felt 
glad.'  All  nature  seemed  in  harmony,  like  a  beautiful  and 
well-tuned  harp,  and  sang  praises  to  the  Most  High.  My 
heart  could  now  beat  time  to  the  heavenly  music  I  heard 
around,  above,  beneath,  and  within.  But  I  had  not  the  most 
distant  idea  that  this  was  conversion.  I  thought  some  strange 
thing  had  happened  to  me.  I  had  been  sure  that  I  would 
know  when  I  was  a  Christian  by  a  peculiar  gloom  that 
would  settle  down  upon  me.  I  had  thought  that  a  peculiar 
desolation  of  the  heart  and  of  the  appearance  of  all  things 
would  attest  that  I  had  obtained  that  for  which  I  sought.  I 
was  desirous  of  attaining  such  an  uncomfortable  "state,  that  I 
might  be  saved  from  the  doubts  and  despair  that  hung  over 
me.  Bewildered  at  what  had  now  taken  place,  and  wishing 
to  know  what  to  do,  I  returned  to  the  campground  and  asked 
an  elderly  lady  who  professed  to  be  a  Christian,  'What  do 
you  think  is  the  matter  with  me?  My  burden  is  all  gone, 
and  I  can't  feel  bad  if  I  try;  and  I  love  God  and  everybody. 
I  don't  know  but  I'll  have  to  be  damned  after  all;  but  I  can't 
feel  one  fear.' 

"  'Why,'  said  she,  'you  are  converted,  and  this  is  religion.' 
"  'But  I  thought  that  religion  would  make  me  feel  gloomy !' 
"'Oh  no!'  said  she,  'it  makes  people  feel  happy.' 
"  'Well,'  said  I  to  myself,  'if  this  is  religion,  the  world  will 
now  soon  be  converted ;  for  I  shall  tell  it  so  plain  that  every- 
body will  certainly  believe  and  seek,  and  find  it.' 

"So  exalted  did  salvation  seem,  and  so  valuable,  and  so  ar- 
dently did  I  desire  the  salvation  of  those  around  me,  that  I 
felt  I  could  have  laid  down  my  life  to  impart  salvation  to  the 
world.  I  now  found  elements  in  my  soul,  which  by  their 
aspirings,  and  exalted  perceptions,  and  appreciative  powers, 


His  ESTEEM  OF  SALVATION.  21 

showed  me  to  be  in  family  alliance  with  the  great  Father.  I 
would  often  say,  'I  am  a  child,  an  heir  of  God !'  How  as- 
tounding was  the  thought!  How  overwhelming!  When  I 
passed  along  the  streets,  after  my  return  home,  every  sound 
and  sight  seemed  written  all  over  and  vocal  with,  'Glory  to 
God  in  the  highest,  forever.'  " 

He  immediately  went  to  work  for  others.  Full  of  the 
hope  of  success,  he  approached  a  young  man  of  his  acquaint- 
ance and  spoke  to  him  on  the  subject  of  salvation.  He 
says,  "  I  expected  to  see  his  eye  flash  with  hope,  and  to  hear 
him  exclaim,  'Where!  where!  where  may  I  find  it?'  and  to 
find  him  ready  to  do  anything  to  obtain  it.  But  he  turned 
upon  me  with  a  look  of  unutterable  scorn,  which  seemed  to 
say, 'What!  have  you  become  a  Methodist  fool?  Away 
with  such  stuff  !  I  don't  want  to  hear  a  word  about  the 
silly  subject.'  I  was  taken  all  aback.  I  had  expected  the 
same  kind  of  a  reception  that  I  would  have  had  if  I  had 
brought  to  him  the  news  of  a  gold  mine,  or  that  he  had  been 
selected  for  one  of  the  highest  officers  of  the  state." 

After  the  camp  meeting,  young  Redfield  started  for  his 
home.  He  visited  some  relatives  on  the  way,  told  them  what 
the  Lord  had  done  for  him,  and  urged  them  to  seek  the  same 
salvation.  But  he  seemed  to  them  like  one  that  mocked. 
Ho  obtained  permission  to  pray  with  one  large  family,  and 
a  short  time  after  was  made  happy  by  the  news  that  all  had 
been  converted.  On  the  way  home  he  told  a  young  man 
who  had  also  been  converted  at  the  same  meeting,  that  for  a 
long  time  he  had  desired  that  he  would  make  a  start,  that  it 
might  be  easier  for  himself  to  do  the  same,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  that  this  young  man  had  experienced  the  same  feel- 
ing with  respect  to  him. 

When  he  reached  home  he  set  up  the  family  altar  in  his 

father's  house.     This,  by  some,  was  thought  to  be  going  too 

far;  but  the  importance  of  the   matter,  and  the  danger  in 

which  he  saw  sinners,  swallowed  up  all  false  propriety.     In 

4 


22  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

a  little  while  he  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  a  large  number 
of  acquaintances  starting  out  to  go  with  him. 

He  now  began  to  go  from  house  to  house  and  from  town 
to  town,  to  carry  the  glad  news  of  a  Saviour.  While  engaged 
in  this  work  he  learned  what  he  had  not  thought  of  before — 
that  the  human  heart  hates  God  and  dislikes  those  who  love 
God;  but  he  resolved  to  be  the  friend  of  God  if  it  made 
every  one  his  enemy.  Referring  to  those  labors,  he  says: 

"  I  came  to  a  house  in  my  journey,  and  went  in  and  asked 
of  each  inmate  their  religious  state.  The  woman  ordered 
me  to  leave.  As  I  left,  I  said,  '  I  am  clear  from  all  further 
obligation,  and  now  I  shake  off  the  dust  of  my  feet 
against  you.  I  will  meet  you  once  more,  in  the  judgment  of 
the  great  day.'  I  left,  as  I  felt  forbidden  of  God  to  stay. 
But  the  woman  came  to  the  door,  and,  until  I  was  out  of 
hearing,  called  for  me  to  come  back.  But  I  followed  my 
own  impression  and  went  on." 

In  the  house  of  a  Universalist  he  pressed  the  matter  of 
personal  and  immediate  salvation  until  the  man's  patience 
gave  out  and  he  threatened  him  with  violence.  Being  only 
about  fifteen  years  of  age,  his  youthful  appearance  made  him 
friends  who  protected  him.  He  here  learned  a  lesson — the 
people  were  forsaking  their  sins  and  seeking  the  Lord,  and  the 
Universalists  were  made  angry  by  it,  notwithstanding  their 
boasted  religion  of  love. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DR.  WILBER  FISK,  who  was  a  familiar  guest  at  the 
home  of  the  Redfields  now  began  to  take  a  great  interest  in 
this  young  worker,  and  suggested  to  his  parents  that  he  be 
sent  to  the  Wilbraham  Academy.  The  young  man  saw  that 
the  old  subject  of  preaching  was  at  the  bottom  of  this;  and 
that  the  course  he  was  even  then  pursuing  would  lead  him 
into  that  work  sooner  or  later.  Then  all  his  old  abhorrence 
and  dread  of  that  calling  revived,  and  he  resolved  to  quit 
the  field  at  once.  He  says,  "  I  had  such  views  of  the  awful 
responsibility  of  a  Christian  minister  that  I  dared  not  under- 
take it  without  the  most  positive  evidence  of  my  call.  If  I 
could  have  had  that  I  would  not  have  stopped  to  confer  with 
flesh  and  blood.  I  felt,  as  it  seems  to  me,  like  a  man  igno- 
rant of  navigation  would  feel  if  sent  to  take  charge  of  a  vessel 
freighted  with  human  life,  and  liable  to  run  into  danger,  not 
knowing  when  or  where.  This  sense  of  responsibility  was 
to  me  overwhelming." 

This  feeling  never  left  him.  Even  in  the  days  of  his 
greatest  success  and  pulpit  power,  he  has  been  known  to  be 
unable  to  eat  his  breakfast  when  he  was  to  preach,  in  the 
morning;  and  he  usually  did  not  partake  of  supper  until 
after  preaching  at  night.  The  reader  will  see  more  and 
more  how  this  feeling  evoked  his  rebellion  against  God,  and 
was  the  occasion  of  the  most  terrific  mental  sufferings.  If 
his  friends  could  have  foreseen  the  fearful  results  of  their 
anxiety  and  haste  in  reference  to  this  matter,  probably  they 
would  have  taken  a  different  course.  How  often  is  the  same 
mistake  made  with  the  young  and  inexperienced  ! 

In  the  state  of  mind  which  has  just  been  described,  he 
returned  home;  but  his  peace  and  power  with  God  were 

(33) 


24  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

greatly  diminished.  He  began  to  try  to  settle  the  question 
by  mere  reasoning.  His  youth,  his  limited  knowledge,  his 
want  of  means  for  acquiring  knowledge,  and  his  sense  of  the 
weakness  of  all  human  effort,  took  on  an  importance  in  his 
consideration  of  the  matter  which,  for  the  time,  overshad- 
owed the  promises  of  help  held  out  in  the  Bible.  His  Chris- 
tian friends  still  unwisely  beset  him  with  their  impressions  of 
what  his  duty  was.  He  says,  "  My  own  earlier  impressions 
and  those  of  my  mother  and  the  talks  I  had  from  time  to 
time  with  Dr.  Fisk,  made  me  perfectly  miserable.  I  think  it 
was  these  influences,  at  this  time,  more  than  the  voice  of 
God,  that  caused  it.  My  whole  nature  shrunk  from  occupy- 
ing a  position  so  sacred  as  that  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
Without  the  sanction  of  God,  to  me  it  was  sacrilege.  I  now 
reasoned  that  my  first  impressions  in  this  matter  were  the  re- 
sult of  the  influence  of  others  upon  me,  and  resolved  to  go 
among  strangers,  that  I  might  be  beyond  the  reach  of  this 
influence;  and,  further,  so  to  commit  myself  by  contract  to 
the  service  of  another,  and  he  a  stranger,  as  to  make  it  im- 
possible for  me  to  engage  in  religious  work.  It  seemed  to 
me  that  I  might,  at  least  for  a  time,  in  this  way  secure  a  set- 
tled state  of  mind." 

The  gentleman  whom  he  sought  was  an  artist  by  pro- 
fession, and  noted  for  his  proficiency.  Without  giving  his 
reasons,  young  Redfield  obtained  the  consent  of  his  father  to 
go,  but  hid  the  matter  from  his  mother. 

He  started  on  his  journey,  and  when  beyond  the  limits  of 
his  acquaintance  was  thankful  to  feel  secure  from  the  beset- 
ments  of  other  people's  impressions.  He  called  at  the  home 
of  a  minister  to  leave  a  letter  that  had  been  committed  to  his 
care.  The  minister  was  away,  but  his  wife  was  at  home. 
As  he  handed  her  the  letter  she  looked  him  in  the  face  and 
said :  "  Tell  me,  are  you  not  running  away  from  God  ?" 

To  this  he  replied:  "  I  think,  madam,  that  some  one  has 
been  writing  to  you  concerning  me." 


RUNNING  AWAY  FROM  DUTY.  25 

"  No,"  she  replied,  "  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  you  before ; 
but  as  soon  as  I  saw  you  I  was  impressed  that  you  were  run- 
ning away  from  your  duty."  She  then  asked:  "Will  you 
please  bring  me  a  pail  of  water  from  the  spring?"  He  could 
not  well  refuse  to  do  this,  but  when  it  was  done  she  asked 
him  to  cut  her  some  wood.  Before  he  was  through  with 
this  an  old  man  came  into  the  yard,  attended  by  a  girl  he  had 
seen  in  the  house  when  he  first  came.  He  was  now  invited 
into  the  house  and  introduced  to  the  old  man,  who,  he  found, 
was  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  Now  he  saw  that  the  woman 
had  detained  him  purposely  until  this  man  could  be  brought. 
The  minister  was  introduced  as  Father  Liscomb.  The  old 
man  informed  young  Redfield  that  he  was  holding  a  revival 
meeting  in  a  little  hamlet  a  short  distance  away,  and  desired 
him  to  go  and  see  the  young  converts.  To  avoid  any  talk 
on  the  subject  of  duty  he  instantly  said,  "  I  will  go,"  but  he 
secretly  determined  to  leave  the  old  gentleman  at  the  first 
convenient  opportunity. 

They  soon  started  away  together,  and  as  they  walked 

along  he  inquired  the  way,  and  the  distance  to  W ,  his 

place  of  destination.  This  was  given  him,  and  they  walked 
on  until  they  came  to  a  house.  The  old  man  knocked  at  the 
door,  and  was  bidden  to  come  in.  As  he  passed  in,  young 
Redfield  turned  and  ran  towards  some  woods  that  lay  between 
him  and  the  place  he  desired  to  reach.  It  was  a  beautiful 
afternoon  in  September,  the  sun  was  about  two  hours  high, 

and  it  was  only  five  miles  to  W ,  by  the  woods  road. 

About  eighty  rods  brought  him  to  the  woods,  and  he  entered 
them  with  congratulations  at  his  nice  escape.  He  lost  his 
way  and  wandered  about  until  night  came  on.  His  experi- 
ence on  this  occasion  is  best  related  in  his  own  words. 

He  says:  "I  could  not  tell  East  from  West,  nor  North 
from  South.  Soon  I  was  wading  in  mud  and  water,  stumb- 
ling over  logs  and  running  against  trees,  scaring  up  squirrels 
and  wild  creatures  until  I  seemed  to  be  surrounded  by  ani- 


26  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

mals  and  reptiles  which  I  could  hear,  but  not  see.  I  at  last 
felt  I  was  contending  with  a  power  that  was  stronger  than 
myself.  My  fears  were  so  greatly  aroused  that  I  promised 
God  if  he  would  lead  me  out  of  the  dreadful  place  I  would 
take  any  course  he  might  direct.  In  a  moment  I  felt  a  gen- 
tle pull  no  stronger  than  a  hair  leading  me,  but  I  could  not  tell 
the  direction.  Soon  I  perceived  I  was  out  of  the  woods.  I  fol- 
lowed that  leading  until  I  found  myself  against  a  fence.  I  got 
over,  crossing  several  fields  and  climbed  as  many  fences,  until  I 
perceived  by  the  feeling  of  my  feet  that  I  was  in  a  road.  While 
stopping  to  ascertain  my  whereabouts,  I  saw  a  light  in  a  window 
a  short  distance  away,  and  it  proved  to  be  at  the  very  house 
where  I  met  the  old  minister.  The  thought  came  in  a  mo- 
ment, if  I  return  to  the  house  the  lady  will  only  distress 
me  by  pressing  upon  me  her  convictions  of  what  my  duty  is, 
and  that  I  cannot  bear.  The  next  thought  was,  this  is  the 

direct  road  to  W ,  and  it  is  only  seven  miles  there.  There 

is  now  no  fear  of  my  getting  lost,  for  the  fences  will  guide 
me,  and  possibly  by  morning  I  may  reach  the  place.  By  go- 
ing to-night  I  shall  avoid  any  further  annoyance  from  the 
preacher's  wife.  As  I  turned  to  go  I  saw  the  woman  in  the 
road  as  plainly  as  I  had  seen  her  the  day  before  in  the  house. 

I   asked,  'Mrs.  B ,  what  time  of  night  is  it?'     But  she 

gave  me  no  answer.  Again,  I  asked,  'Did  you  feel  alarmed 
at  my  absence?  and  have  you  come  out  to  look  for  me?' 
Still  she  did  not  answer  me.  I  then  told  her  I  had  been  lost, 
and  was  just  out  of  my  dilemma.  I  also  told  her  that  I  de- 
sired she  would  say  no  more  to  me  of  duty,  for  I  was  too  agi- 
tated to  hear  it.  Yet  she  did  not  speak,  and  I  thought,  she 
is  trying  to  frighten  me  into  obedience  to  her  opinion  of  what 
is  my  duty.  I  then  said  to  her,  'You  will  not  frighten  me 
for  I  am  resolved  never  to  preach  until  I  am  positive  that 
God  says,  Go.  I  am  going  this  night  to  W ;  so  good- 
night.' As  I  started  she  stepped  in  front  of  me.  1  turned 
to  pass  by  her,  and  she  stepped  in  front  of  me  again.  Again 


ALL  PLANS  THWARTED.  27 

I  endeavored  to  pass  by  her,  but  again  she  stepped  in  front 
of  me.  I  then  said,  'Madam,  I  thought  you  were  a  professor 
of  religion.  What  will  your  neighbors  think  when  they 
know  of  your  conducting  yourself  in  this  manner?'  Still  I 
got  no  response  from  her.  'You  need  not  think  to  crowd 
me  to  the  course  you  think  I  ought  to  go,  by  tricks  of  this 
kind,'  I  continued.  Still  she  was  silent.  I  was  then  seized 
with  such  fear  that  I  turned  and  ran  to  the  house;  and  as  I 
entered,  she  sat  there  as  if  waiting  for  me.  She  immediately 
said,  'I  expected  you  would  come  back ;  for  I  prayed  God  to 
put  my  image  before  you  as  the  angel  appeared  before 
Balaam.'  'Well  I  thought  it  was  you]  I  said,  and  with 
this  one  sentence  I  exposed  all  the  facts. 

"On  looking  I  found  it  was  twelve  o'clock.  I  asked  her 
for  a  place  of  rest  for  the  remainder  of  the  night.  She  gave 
me  a  light  and  told  me  where  to  find  a  room.  I  now  resolved 
to  get  up  and  be  off  for  W—  -  before  she  could  have  a 
chance  to  annoy  me  in  the  morning.  Notwithstanding  the 
remarkable  character  of  this  experience,  it  seemed  to  me  I 
was  enduring-  great  hardship. 

"  I  arose  early  as  I  had  determined,  but  when  I  stepped 
into  the  sitting-room,  which  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  pass 
through,  there  she  sat  in  a  chair.  I  spoke  first,  and  said, 
'Don't  say  a  word  to  me  about  duty,  for  I  am  resolved  that 
no  human  influence  shall  determine  my  course.  I  shall  go 

to  W to-day.     I  dare  not  allow  myself   to  be  prevailed 

upon  to  take  so  fearful  a  position  as  that  of  a  gospel  minis- 
ter. So  good  morning.' 

"On  attempting  to  open  the  outside  door,  I  felt  the  force 
of  a  hand  on  the  latch  outside.  I  stepped  back,  and  when 
the  door  opened,  there  stood  a  man,  who,  putting  his  hand 
upon  my  head,  said  to  me,  '  Stop,  Jonah !  for  you  are  run- 
ning away  from  God.' 

"Said  I,  'You  are  in  the  secret,  too!  are  you?' 

" '  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  you  before  this  moment,'  he 


28  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

replied.  *  I  live  four  miles  from  here — I  am  not  a  believer 
in  dreams,  but  I  had  one  last  night,  in  which  I  was  told  to 
come  to  this  house,  and  here  I  would  find  a  young  man  who 
was  trying  to  run  away  from  God.  And  I  was  told  to  tell 
you  to  go  and  preach  the  gospel  or  you  would  be  damned. 
I  have  come  four  miles  to  stop  you.' 

"  But  I  broke  away  and  went  on  my  journey. 

"  I  found  the  artist.  He  was  willing  to  enter  into  a  con- 
tract with  me,  but  while  I  was  talking  with  him,  I  was 
again  seized  with  such  fear,  and  with  such  a  sense  of  guilt, 
that  I  dared  not  say  a  word  more.  I  went  out  and  left  the 
place,  nor  dared  look  back  until  sure  that  I  was  out  of  sight 
of  the  town." 


CHAPTER  III. 

RETURNING  HOME,  young  Reclfield  now  resolved  to  live 
religion,  but  to  abandon  all  thought  of  preaching,  unless  God 
by  unmistakable  signs  should  reveal  it  to  him  as  his  will. 
He  passed  the  winter  and  the  following  summer  in  a  restless 
and  uncomfortable  state  of  mind.  He  was  continually  mourn- 
ing over  his  sad  condition,  and  wondering  why  he  should 
be  the  victim  of  such  impressions,  and  yet  have  no  certain 
evidence  to  settle  the  matter.  He  would  allow  none  to 
speak  to  him  in  regard  to  it,  and  would  seek  counsel  from, 
none. 

Late  in  the  fall  he  saw,  in  the  western  sky,  an  indescriba- 
ble sign.  The  impression  made  upon  him  by  it  was,  "That 
hangs  over  where  God  would  have  you  go  to  labor."  But 
this  distressed  him  still  more.  The  thought  of  following 
such  a  sign  was  contrary  to  all  his  ideas  of  propriety  in  mat- 
ters of  such  great  concern.  He  reasoned  that  in  a  matter  of 
such  importance,  where  there  is  possibility  of  making  a  mis- 
take, and  that  mistake  liable  to  be  a  fatal  one,  he  had  aright 
to  expect  of  God  a  reasonable  and  unmistakable  evidence  of 
his  will.  But  in  spite  of  all,  "Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not 
the  gospel,"  continually  rang  through  his  heart.  Still,  also, 
that  sign  hung  in  the  sky,  with  the  same  impression  of  its 
import.  At  last  he  determined  to  ask  for  another  to  corrob- 
orate the  first,  but  none  came.  His  appetite  and  sleep  forsook 
him,  until  in  two  months  he  was  very  much  wasted.  Hebe- 
came  afraid  that  he  might  become  insane.  He  had  asked 
that  an  angel  or  a  bird  might  come  to  him  as  an  assurance 
that  the  sign  he  continually  saw  in  that  place  in  the  sky  was 
from  God,  or  that  an  audible  voice  might  speak  to  him,  then 
he  would  obey  it.  Still  the  answer  did  not  come.  He  at 

(29) 


30  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

last  resolved  to  seek  for  it  by  fasting  and  prayer.  He  set  the 
day  for  the  struggle,  also  determining  to  follow  it  by  a  watch- 
night.  He  expected  that  by  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  a  bird 
or  angel,  or  voice  would  settle  his  doubts.  The  hour  came, 
the  town  clock  struck;  he  counted  the  strokes;  it  was  twelve; 
but  no  bird,  nor  angel,  nor  voice  came.  He  said  to  himself, 
"I  am  glad  that  I  have  gone  through  with  my  fast  and 
watch-night.  Now  I  can  go  to  rest,  and  drop  this  terrible 
subject.  The  absence  of  the  testimony  I  have  asked  for  is 
sufficient  to  satisfy  me  that  my  impressions  as  to  preaching, 
and  that  sign,  are  unreliable.  I  have  been  the  dupe  of  hallu- 
cination." 

An  impression  now  came  to  him  to  open  the  Bible  and 
see  what  light  he  could  get  from  that.  He  says:  "I  opened 
it  at  random  and  let  my  finger  touch  without  knowing  where. 
On  looking  I  found  it  on  the  words  in  Genesis  17:3:  '  There- 
fore, my  son,  obey  my  voice  according  to  that  which  I  com- 
mand thee.'  For  a  moment  I  was  disturbed;  but  soon  I  rea- 
soned: that  was  purely  a  happen  so;  I  will  try  once  more; 
I'll  reach  far  enough  in  opening  not  to  touch  the  same  spot 
again.  I  next  put  my  finger  on  Deuteronomy  28:  15:  *  But 
it  shall  come  to  pass  if  thou  wilt  not  hearken  unto  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  to  observe  to  do  all  his  commandments 
and  his  statutes  which  I  command  thee  this  day,  that  all  these 
curses  shall  come  upon  thee  and  overtake  thee.'  I  reasoned 
this  away  and  tried  again.  This  time  my  finger  fell  upon 
Jonah  3:  2:  'Arise, 'go  unto  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and 
preach  unto  it  the  preaching  that  I  bid  thee.'  This  shook  me 
greatly  and  well  nigh  upset  all  my  hopes  of  finding  relief  ; 
but  I  reasoned:  we  are  not  under  the  Old  Testament  dis- 
pensation. I  will  venture  to  open  in  the  New  Testament. 
My  finger  now  touched  the  quotation  by  the  Saviour,  *  The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me 
to  preach  the  gospel,'  etc.  Filled  with  fear,  I  begged  the 
Lord  not  to  be  angry  with  me,  but  to  let  me  try  once  more, 


CORROBORATING  EVIDENCES.  31 

and  I  would  not  ask  again.  I  opened  and  touched  the 
words,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.' 

"  Thus  five  times  in  succession  did  I  touch  upon  the 
words  that  corroborated  my  impressions,  and  the  impressions 
of  others,  but  which  were  opposed  to  my  opinions  and  desires. 
My  soul  was  now  upon  the  rack  worse  than  ever.  I  could  not 
rest,  I  could  not  sleep.  It  was  in  midwinter  and  very  cold; 
but  I  went  forth  into  the  fields  and  woods  to  try  anew  place, 
in  hope  that  God  would  send  me  a  bird  or  angel  or  voice.  I 
knelt  in  the  snow  and  pleaded  with  God  as  a  man  would 
plead  for  his  life  to  grant  me  such  an  answer  as  I  desired  ; 
but  no  answer  of  that  kind  came.  I  went  from  place  to 
place  until  I  reached  the  top  of  a  hill  in  a  grove.  Here  I 
knelt  once  more.  While  pleading  there  I  had  such  a  sense 
of  the  awful  majesty  and  near  approach  of  an  offended  God 
that  my  agony  of  body  and  soul  became  extreme  and  I 
thought  I  could  not  live.  Instantly  I  cried  out,  '  O  God,  re- 
move this  from  me  and  I'll  go.'  Immediately  I  was  relieved; 
but  soon  my  doubting  heart  said,  '  I've  seen  no  bird,  nor 
angel,  nor  heard  a  voice  ;  how  can  I  go?'  I  went  to  a  hill- 
top farther  on,  overlooking  a  swamp,  knelt  down,  and  con- 
tinued in  prayer  for  some  time.  When  I  tried  to  rise  I  found 
my  clothing  was  frozen  to  the  earth.  So  great  had  been 
my  agitation  that  I  had  not  thought  of  the  cold.  I  pulled 
my  knees  loose,  but  found  I  could  not  rise  until  I  had  rubbed 
my  limbs  warm.  At  last,  with  great  difficulty,  I  arose  and 
started  towards  the  house.  I  passed  the  spot  where  I  felt  the 
presence  of  God  so  painfully,  and  went  down  into  a  valley, 
and  sat  down  on  a  log.  Though  still  in  great  distress  of 
mind,  the  impression  came:  'Stand  still  and  see  the  salva- 
tion of  God.'  The  next  moment  a  bird  came  and  alighted 
on  my  shoulder.  I  shook  it  off,  but  it  came  again.  I  then 
thought:  I  may  be  in  its  way.  I  arose,  went  to  the  top  of 
another  hill,  and  knelt  in  prayer  again,  under  a  pine  tree. 


33  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKI.D. 

While  thus  engaged,  a  sound  passed  through  the  tree  like 
that  of  a  stiff  breeze,  but  no  wind  seemed  stirring.  I  listened 
and  looked,  but  saw  nothing.  I  arose  and  went  home.  It  was 
morning,  and  my  father,  after  building  a  fire,  had  gone  to 
the  barn.  When  I  entered  the  room  and  came  in  contact 
with  the  warm  air  I  became  so  faint  that  I  dropped  into  a 
chair  by  the  door,  pale,  haggard,  and  weak.  My  mother 
came  into  the  room  that  moment,  and  seeing  my  distressed 
look,  was  frightened,  and  exclaimed,  •  Why,  John!  what's 
the  matter?'  I  made  out  to  answer,  'Nothing,  mother ';  but 
perceiving  my  feelings  about  to  betray  me,  I  arose  and  went 
out  into  the  cold  again.  When  beyond  hearing  I  gave  vent 
to  my  anguish  in  loud  sobbing  and  weeping. 

"  I  now  determined  to  spend  this  day  also  in  fasting  and 
prayer,  and  conclude  it  with  a  watch-night.  When  twelve 
o'clock  at  night  came  again,  it  was  with  the  same  results.  I 
then  thought:  I  will  turn  to  the  word  of  God  again.  I 
opened  to  the  words,  "  There  shall  no  sign  be  given."  As 
this  spoiled  all  prospect  of  sleep,  I  went  out  into  the  fields 
again.  I  said  to  myself:  There  is  that  sign  §till  in  the  sky. 
Reason  says:  I  must  be  under  a  religious  hallucination;  but, 
true  or  false,  I  cannot  settle  the  matter  of  duty  or  shake  it 
off.  My  body  is  worn  down;  my  mind  is  almost  distracted. 
I  must  either  go  deranged  or  die.  There  is  but  one  thing  I 
can  do,  that  is,  to  go  to  the  place  and  test  the  matter.  I  had 
no  sooner  resolved  to  go  than,  cold  as  it  was,  I  was  all  in  a 
glow  of  warmth,  and  as  happy  as  I  could  bear. 

"  I  could  not  tell  any  one  my  feelings.  I  returned  to  the 
house.  It  was  now  daylight.  I  entered  the  parlor  and  went 
to  a  bureau  in  which  my  linen  was  kept,  and  commenced  to 
pack  a  small  bundle  to  take  with  rr.e.  While  thus  engaged, 
my  sister  Mary,  then  living  at  home, came  into  the  room  and 
with  streaming  eyes  handed  me  a  Bible  and  hymn-book,  and 
said:  'Brother  John,  the  victory  is  gained.'  I  could  contain 
no  longer;  I  broke  forth  in  convulsed  sobbing  and  weeping, 


SECRET  PRAYER  FOR  HIM.  33 

but  said  not  a  word.  She  afterwards  told  me  that  she  knew 
at  this  time,  all  about  my  struggle,  and  was  engaged  in  secret 
prayer  for  me  all  the  time;  and  also  that  she  knew  the  very 
moment  when  it  was  over,  though  she  was  in  the  house  and 
I  quite  a  distance  away.  I  had  supposed  all  the  time  that 
none  but  God  and  I  knew  anything  about  it." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TAKING  only  a  small  bundle  with  him,  and  without  saying 
farewell,  he  started  out  to  seek  the  place  designated  by  the 
sign.  He  intended  to  take  a  straight  line  to  the  place,  re- 
gardless of  roads.  His  joy  was  now  unspeakable.  When  he 
opened  the  door  to  start,  a  young  man  stood  before  it,  who 
asked,  "Where  are  you  going?"  He  could  only  say,  "I  am 
going  west."  Said  the  stranger,  " Wait  a  minute  and  you  can 
ride  with  me."  The  invitation  was  accepted,  but  with  the 
determination  to  ride  with  him  only  as  long  as  his  course 
was  toward  that  sign.  All  day  they  rode  in  a  westerly  direc- 
tion. Just  at  sundown,  as  they  reached  the  bottom  of  a  hill, 
the  driver  turned  to  a  road  leading  south,  and  the  sign  disap- 
peared. Young  Redfield  said  not  a  word,  but  thought, 
"The  mystery  is  solved.  I  have  been  following  a  phantom." 
He  asked  the  young  man  to  stop  and  let  him  get  out,  as  he 
desired  to  take  the  road  to  the  right.  That  led  to  the  west. 
The  stranger  answered:  "You  had  better  go  to  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  stop  there  at  the  house  of  an  old  minister  until 
morning,  as  it  will  be  a  long  way  before  you  will  find  a  stop- 
ping place  on  that  road."  He  accepted  the  suggestion  and 
went  on.  When  they  reached  the  house  the  young  man 
knocked  at  the  door  and  they  were  bidden  to  come  in.  The 
minister  and  his  family  were  standing  around  the  table  and 
had  been  about  to  say  grace  over  their  evening  repast,  after 
the  manner  of  that  day.  As  the  old  man  looked  upon  young 
Redfield  the  tears  filled  his  eyes,  and  it  was  some  moments 
before  he  could  control  his  emotions.  At  last  he  said,  "This 
young  man  must  stop  with  me.  God  showed  me  in  a  dream 

(M) 


SOME  WORK  AMONG  UNIVERSALISTS.  35 

sometime  ago  that  you  were  coming  to  help  me  on  my  cir- 
cuit. I  never  saw  you  before  except  in  my  dream,  and 
when  you  came  I  instantly  recognized  you."  On  taking  a 
seat  Mr.  Redfield  opened  his  hymn-book  to  the  verse, 

"Master,  I  own  thy  lawful  claim, 

Thine,  wholly  thine,  I  long  tube; 
Thou  seest  at  last  I  willing  am, 

Where'er  thou  goest  to  follow  thee. 
Myself  in  all  things  to  deny, 

Thine,  wholly  thine  to  live  and  die." 

He  says,  "I  now  felt  myself  fully  committed  to  do  God's 
will,  although  I  kept  and  pondered  these  things  in  my  heart. 
The  heavenly  sweetness  and  calmness  which  took  posses- 
sion of  my  soul,  I  have  no  words  to  describe." 

The  old  preacher  took  him  on  to  a  part  of  his  circuit 
where  Universalism  was  a  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the 
work.  He  commenced  his  work  here  in  the  same  way  in 
which  he  had  previously  labored,  by  visiting  from  house  to 
house.  He  met  with  opposition  and  threats  of  personal  vio- 
lence, but  the  more  he  labored  the  more  he  felt  the  value  of 
souls,  and  the  importance  of  his  mission.  When  threatened, 
he  would  reply,  "My  message  is  from  God  to  you,  and  I 
shall  not,  I  dare  not,  disobey  him.  It  is  at  your  peril  if  you 
do  not  heed  it,"  and  with  tears  running  down  his  face  he 
would  insist  upon  a  definite  answer  to  his  appeals.  Some- 
times amid  threats  he  would  kneel  and  pray,  presenting  the 
case  of  each  person  present  to  God.  On  rising  he  would 
take  them  by  the  hand,  when  they  would  allow  it,  and  tell 
them,  "I  am  here  in  the  name  of  the  great  God.  I  have 
done  my  duty  faithfully.  Farewell,  I  will  meet  you  again 
in  the  judgment." 

He  would  leave  them  in  various  moods.  Sometimes 
penitent  and  sometimes  in  a  rage.  "Yet,"  he  says,  "I  do  not 
remember  a  single  instance  where  they  did  not  send  for  me 
within  twenty-four  hours,  to  come  and  pray  for  them." 


36  LIFE  OF  JOHN  VV.  REDFIELD. 

One  afternoon,  two  Methodist  ministers  called  and  asked 

him  to  visit  a  Mr.  B ,  a  Universalist,  by  whose  influence 

the  revival  was  much  hindered.  They  had  both  been  to  see 
him,  but  could  not  convince  him  of  his  error.  One  of  them 
said,  "I  have  used  the  arguments  of  Fisk  and  Fletcher,  and 
yet  nothing  shakes  his  confidence  in  Universalism."  Young 
Redfield  said,  "I  will  ask  the  Lord  about  it." 

"That  night  he  was  instructed  in  a  dream  to  visit  the 
Universalist,  and  also  as  to  how  to  approach  him,  and  by 
what  method  he  should  endeavor  to  draw  his  attention  to 
the  great  importance  of  attending  immediately  to  the  matter 
of  his  personal  salvation.  The  next  morning  early,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  man's  house,  and,  on  entering,  said  to  him:  "I 
have  a  message  from  the  great  God  to  you,  and  that  is,  you 
must  repent  and  seek  salvation  or  you  will  be  damned." 

Said  he,  "I  don't  believe  in  your  damnation  doctrine." 

Without  attempting  to  reply  the  young  man  asked,  "Will 
you  obey  God  and  shun  damnation?" 

Again  Mr.  B tried  to  avoid  answering,  but  young 

Redfield  said,  "My  message  is  from  God;  will  you  obey  it?" 

At  this  the  man  became  very  angry  and  ordered  him  out 
of  his  house,  threatening  him  with  a  beating  if  he  did  not  go. 

Mr.  Redfield  replied:  "You  strike  me  at  the  peril  of 
God's  displeasure ;  for  the  God  who  has  sent  me  on  this  errand 
of  mercy  will  certainly  stand  by  me  and  defend  me.  So 
touch  me  if  you  dare.  I  am  on  God's  business." 

The  Universalist's  wife  now  exclaimed,  "Oh!  will  you 
pray  for  me?"  with  tears.  He  instantly  knelt,  and  both  the 
man  and  his  wife  knelt  with  him.  God  so  far  broke  his  op- 
position that  his  influence  for  evil  from  this  time  was  checked. 
The  work  of  God  soon  broke  out  with  power,  and  swept 
over  all  that  section. 


CHAPTER   V. 

AFTER  a  short  time,  the  sign  appeared  again,  directing 
him  to  another  field.  Yet  he  secretly  resolved  to  go  home. 
Carelessly  he  signified  this  intention  to  one  who  immediately 
said :  "  I  should  think  you  would  be  afraid  the  judgments  of 
God  would  follow  you."  The  following  morning,  as  he  was 
making  preparations  to  go  home,  he  was  suddenly  seized 
with  great  pain,  and  to  find  relief,  he  consented  to  obey  God. 
As  soon  as  the  pain  was  gone,  however,  he  made  another 
attempt  to  return  home.  He  finished  dressing,  and  reached 
the  top  of  the  stairs,  when  the  same  agony  of  body  again 
came  on,  and  with  it  the  impression,  "If  you  do  not  consent, 
you  will  die  and  be  lost."  He  says:  "  I  then  told  the  Lord 
if  he  would  relieve  me,  I  would  go,  and  instantly  I  was  free 
from  pain,  and  as  happy  as  I  could  be." 

"  After  breakfast,"  he  continues,  "  I  started.  It  was  very 
cold,  and  the  snow  was  deep,  but  I  went  on,  singing,  'De- 
cember's as  pleasant  as  May.'  I  visited  every  house  as  I 
went,  warning  the  people  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come. 
My  name  and  manner  of  work  had  gone  before  me,  and 
some  were  so  much  afraid  of  me  that  they  left  their  houses 
at  my  approach. 

"When  I  reached  the  place  of  my  destination,  I  was  led  to 
go  to  the  class  leader's  first.  The  day  had  been  too  severe 
for  the  children  to  attend  school,  and  they  were  all  at  home. 
I  asked  the  father  and  mother:  *  Are  you  on  the  way  to 
heaven  ?'  The  father  replied :  '  We  trust  we  are.'  Said  I : 
*  God  has  sent  me  to  tell  you  that  you  are  on  the  road  to  hell, 
and  you  will  certainly  be  lost  unless  you  repent  and  seek  the 
pardon  of  your  sins.'  I  had  no  sooner  spoken  than  the 
tears  began  to  stream  down  my  face;  but  my  words  aroused 
a  turbulent  spirit  within  him,  and  with  vehemence  he  ordered 
5  *  <37> 


38  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

me  out  of  the  house.  I  told  him  I  could  not  go  until  I  had 
obeyed  my  instructions  from  God.  «  Then,'  said  he,  *  I'll  use 
means  to  get  you  out,'  and  he  seemed  about  to  raise  a  chair 
to  strike  me.  I  said  to  him:  'You  will  strike  me  at  your 
peril  while  I  am  delivering  God's  message  to  you.'  I  then 
turned  to  the  children  and  asked  them:  'Do  you  wish  to  go 
to  hell  with  your  father  and  mother?'  With  tears,  they 
said:  'No,  sir.'  I  asked:  'Will  you  kneel  down  while  I  pray 
for  you?  You  need  not  fear  that  your  father  will  hurt  me, 
for  God  will  defend  me.'  Down  they  knelt,  and  that  brought 
their  parents  to  their  knees,  and  they  began  in  good  earnest 
to  seek  God.  When  I  arose,  the  man  and  his  wife  began  to 
confess  their  backslidings,  and  invited  me  to  stay  for  the 
night.  This  I  did,  but  feeling  in  the  morning  that  my  work 
was  done  in  that  place,  I  returned.  The  class  leader  went  to 
work  for  God,  and  was  the  means  of  reviving  the  work  of 
the.  Lord  in  that  neighborhood." 

Soon  after  his  return,  he  met  the  preacher  in  charge,  who 
informed  him  that  it  was  the  desire  of  the  presiding  elder 
that  he  unite  with  the  church,  be  licensed  to  preach  and  take 
regular  work  on  a  circuit.  To  this  he  finally  consented,  and 
went  to  the  next  quarterly  meeting.  The  elder  preached  as 
usual  at  the  Saturday  service,  and  held  the  quarterly  con- 
ference -immediately  after.  While  the  congregation  was 
passing  out,  and  the  members  of  the  conference  were  wait- 
ing for  it  to  become  quiet,  the  elder  related  a  ridiculous  story 
that  produced  boisterous  laughter,  in  which  he  joined;  and 
when  it  was  at  its  height,  he  said,  "Let  us  pray,"  and  imme- 
diately led  in  prayer.  The  effect  of  this  upon  young  Red- 
field  can  best  be  given  in  his  own  words: 

"  This  was  too  much  for  my  sensitive  conscience,  and  the 
devil  took  the  advantage  of  it  by  setting  me  to  reasoning 
thus:  'Does  this  man  believe  the  Bible?  Did  Jesus  set  such 
an  example  of  trifling  in  the  presence  of  a  perishing  world? 
Is  it  true  that  sinners  are  now  passing  away,  every  hour,  to 


MISLED  BY  INCONSISTENCY.  39 

the  judgment?  Is  this  like  Paul,  who  for  the  space  of  three 
years,  night  and  day,  with  tears,  labored  for  the  salvation  of 
sinners?  Ami  in  a  hallucination?  Am  I  wild,  or  blind? 
Be  it  as  it  may  be,  all  I  can  see  from  my  standpoint  is  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  staggering  under  a  world's  sin,  while 
its  masses  in  proud  procession  are  on  their  way  to  eternal 
night.  If  the  Bible  is  true,  the  world  is  on  the  eve  of  a 
terrible  catastrophe,  and  about  to  pass  into  eternity  unpre- 
pared. I  can  hardly  stop  to  sleep  lest  men  be  lost  while  I 
am  at  rest.  There  must  be  a  mistake  somewhere,  and  it  is 
quite  probable  I  am  the  one  that  is  mistaken.  The  elder  is 
a  man  of  years,  and  in  all  probability  when  young  was  as 
zealous  and  ardent  as  I  am,  but  he  has  found  that  religion  is 
a  sham,  and  now  continues  to  preach  for  the  profit  it  is  to 
him.  I  will  never  accept  of  a  license  until  I  settle  the  ques- 
tion for  myself  of  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion.'" 

He  refused  the  license,  and  after  the  quarterly  meeting 
went  home  to  his  father's  house.  In  after  years  he  could 
look  back  and  see  that  here  was  the  great  mistake  of  his 
life.  He  says:  "Little  did  I  dream  that  I  had  undertaken 
one  of  the  most  absurd  tasks  imaginable.  I  might  as  well 
have  attempted  to  solve  a  question  in  algebra,  by  the  prin- 
ciples of  music,  or  the  science  of  astronomy  by  the  rules  of 
grammar,  as  to  attempt  to  solve  the  problems  of  religion  by 
the  light  of  reason.  However,  I  began  the  attempt.  But  I 
again  found  myself  beset  with  people  who  would  urge  upon 
me  their  impressions  of  my  duty  to  go  into  the  gospel  field. 
To  get  rid  of  this  annoyance,  I  again  resolved  to  go  where 
I  was  not  known.  My  motives  for  going  I  kept  a  secret, 
lest  I  should  involve  others  in  my  perplexity." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

IN  THE  peculiar  state  of  mind  described  in  the  foregoing 
chapter,  young  Redfield  again  left  home,  going  about  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  where  he  was  known.  In  less  than  a  fort- 
night after  his  arrival  at  his  new  destination,  however,  he  was 
questioned  about  the  duty  of  preaching.  This  caused  him  to 
leave  again.  This  time  he  chose  a  place  where  he  felt  sure 
he  would  not  be  annoyed  by  anything  of  that  kind,  but  here 
he  found  old  acquaintances  who  raised  the  question,  within  a 
week.  Then  he  left  again,  resolved  not  to  profess  religion 
at  the  next  place,  nor  to  have  anything  to  say  on  the  subject, 
thinking  in  that  way  to  avoid  the  annoyance.  Soon  after 
this  he  found  himself  beset  with  infidel  notions;  and  at  last 
his  faith  in  Christianity  utterly  gave  way.  He  could  now 
get  along  comparatively  well  in  the  daytime,  but  his  nights 
would  be  filled  with  dreams  of  preaching,  and  so  overcome 
in  his  feelings  would  he  be,  that  on  waking  he  would  find 
his  pillow  wet  with  tears.  He  now  began  to  believe  that  he 
had  been  the  dupe  of  deception  through  all  his  strange  course. 
To  end  the  matter  once  and  for  all  he  finally  resolved  to 
ask  God  to  take  away  the  conviction  of  duty,  even  if  it  was 
from  him.  He  had  heard  of  a  man  who  did  that,  and  who 
was  instantly  relieved,  never  to  have  the  feeling  come  back. 
He  now  experienced  the  same  relief.  In  after  years,  when 
looking  back  with  horror  upon  this  passage  in  his  life,  he 
could  only  account  for  the  after  return  of  the  Spirit  by  refer- 
ring it  to  the  prayers  and  intercessions  of  his  mother.  He 
says : 

"I  felt  the  Holy  Spirit  leave  me  as  plainly  as  I  ever  felt 
the  taking  off  of  my  coat;  and  yet  with  no  greater  alarm 
than  at  the  loss  of  a  penny.  To  me,  now,  infidelity  was  a 

(40) 


THOUGHTS  ox  ANNIHILATION.  41 

fact,  and  right  in  its  wake  c.ime  downright  atheism.  For  as 
soon  as  I  resolved  to  settle  all  theological  questions  by  my 
external  senses,  a  vague  uncertainty  came  over  everything. 
Nature's  laws  were  all  the  God  I  could  find,  and  the  mere 
notion  that  a  given  system  of  religion  might  be  true  was  the 
utmost  my  reason  could  conjecture.  It  now  seemed  to  me 
that  all  the  phenomena  of  religious  emotion,  of  mental  and 
moral  changes,  were  due  to  laws  within  us,  and  beyond  our 
control.  Now,  the  funereal  pall  of  annihilation  settled  down 
upon  me,  and  I  could  see  nothing  but  darkness  and  desola- 
tion. Man  and  earth  seemed  orphaned.  I  sought  in  anatomy, 
physiology,  and  philosophy  for  testimony  to  clear  this  up, 
and,  if  possible,  give  me  a  single  fact  to  settle  my  distracted 
mind.  One  favorite  haunt  of  mine  during  this  period  was 
an  ancient  Indian  burying  ground.  Some  of  the  graves  were 
entirely  gone,  washed  away  by  the  high  waters  of  an  adjoin- 
ing stream;  others  were  partly  gone, the  dark  sands  of  which 
gave  traces  of  the  bodies  which  had  been  laid  there  to  rest 
several  hundred  years  before.  A  few  sea-shells,  flint  arrow- 
heads and  hatchets,  and  beads  were  all  that  bore  testimony 
that  these  bodies  had  ever  lived.  In  contemplation  of  these 
things  my  whole  soul  would  cry  out,  while  the  suffocation  of 
death  seemed  to  be  upon  me,  '  O  God,  if  there  be  a  God, 
send  me  to  the  hell  of  the  Bible,  but  don't  annihilate  me.' 
It  seemed  to  me  at  such  times  that  I  could  have  died  a  hun- 
dred deaths  if  that  would  have  made  the  Christian  doctrines 
true,  and  have  run  my  chances  of  heaven  or  hell. 

"I  now  commenced  the  systematic  study  of  anatomy,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  man  had  a  conscious, 
thinking,  acting,  soul,  independent  of  the  body,  or  whether  a 
fortuitous  combination  of  matter  in  conjunction  with  material 
laws  might  not  produce  the  phenomena  we  observe;  and 
therefore  these  phenomena  cease  with  the  combination. 
Among  other  works,  treating  upon  this  subject,  I  met  with 
Paley's  Natural  Theology  Illustrated,  which  gave  a  sober, 


42  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

common-sense,  bias  to  my  mode  of  reasoning.  As  a  result 
of  this  I  was  cured  of  atheism  and  infidelity.  I  now  saw 
the  fogs  of  doubt  all  clear  away,  and  the  doctrine  of  the  nat- 
ure, operations,  independence,  and  perpetuity,  of  the  human 
soul,  redeemed  from  all  doubt,  and  established  upon  solid 
foundations." 

While  he  was  passing  through  all  this,  his  mother,  hear- 
ing of  his  infidelity  and  abandonment  of  religion  and  all 
thought  of  entering  the  Christian  ministry,  became  very  sad 
and  would  not  be  comforted.  Not  only  were  her  hopes,  but 
her  faith  also  was  involved  with  his.  In  his  failure,  she 
saw  all  her  hopes  concerning  him,  from  his  infancy,  dashed  to 
the  ground.  She  pined  away,  and  nearly  lost  her  mind  in 
mourning  over  him.  She  became  so  weak,  that  she  would 
stop  strangers  as  they  passed  her  door,  and  ask  them  in 
plaintive  tones,  "Have  you  seen  my  son, John?  Where  is  he? 
and  what  is  he  about?"  Only  as  a  pious  mother  could,  she 
kept  his  case  before  God,  and  quite  likely  it  was  in  answer  to 
her  prayers  that  he  was  finally  brought  back  not  only  to 
Christ,  but  into  the  work  of  soul-saving,  for  which  he  be- 
came so  eminent. 

He  says,  "During  the  period  of  my  infidelity,  I  saw  and 
believed  that  human  nature  needed  some  kind  of  religion  to 
restrain  it  from  injuring  society.  For  this  reason  I  would  at- 
tend church,  read  prayers  with  the  congregation,  to  cultivate 
a  moral  tone.  I  reasoned:  'If  there  be  a  God,  and  the  Bi- 
ble proves  true,  it  is  best  to  be  fitted  for  any  possible  emer- 
gency that  may  arise,  even  if  not  contemplated  by  the  Bible. 
If  there  is  no  God,  or  only  such  an  one  as  the  deranged  con- 
dition of  nature  reveals;  if  we  have  nothing  to  hope  beyond 
the  grave,  not  even  the  guarantee  of  an  abstract  existence, 
the  uncertainty  is  terrible." 

In  after  years,  he  would  say,  "Men  may  talk  of  annihila- 
tion as  a  possible  fact,  and  regard  the  theory  as  a  light  affair; 
but  let  them  stand  where  I  have  stood,  by  the  graves  of  the 


His  NATURAL  POWERS  TO  REASON.  43 

fong  forgotten  dead,  and  in  imagination  pass  down  the  vista 
of  coming  time,  and  think:  'With  all  my  longing  for  life,  I 
must  lie  down  in  the  dust  and  darkness  of  the  tomb,  and  let 
the  rusty  centuries  fold  over  my  head,  till  ages  have  passed 
and  gone,  and  I  sleep  on  still  as  these  have  slept,  who  now  lie 
here  in  a  common  ruin,  forgotten  and  forever  gone !  Poor  name- 
less dust,  who  lived,  hoped,  feared ;  made  as  they  thought  ample 
provision  for  life  in  the  spirit  land;  yet  all  in  vain!'  and  they 
will  cry  out,  as  I  have  cried,  'O  God,  spare  me  at  least  a  bare 
existence.'  No!  I  would  know  the  truth,  however  unwel- 
come it  may  be." 

His  study  of  anatomy,  under  the  tutorship  of  an  eminent 
physician,  was  continued  after  his  return  to  faith,  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  his  future  practice  of  medicine.  This  struggle 
with  unbelief,  and  the  various  lines  of  investigation  that  it 
led  him  to  undertake,  in  mental  and  moral  philosophy,  as 
well  as  in  the  physical  sciences,  was  a  valuable  training  for  the 
especial  work  to  which  he  was  called.  Every  phase  of  un- 
belief, mental  and  moral  difficulty  seems  to  have  been  re- 
viewed by  him,  not  simply  by  reading,  but  by  personal 
investigation,  until  it  seemed  that  no  obstacle  of  that  kind 
could  stand  before  him.  "Questions  of  magnetism,  clair- 
voyance, and  much  of  what  now  passes  for  spiritualism," 
were  carefully  studied  by  him  at  that  early  period  (between 
1830  and  1840).  The  perfect  ease  and  simplicity  with  which, 
in  the  days  of  his  power,  he  would  remove  the  difficulties  of 
doubt  and  solve  the  problems  of  conscience,  was  an  astonish- 
ment to  those  who  listened  to  him.  From  the  foregoing 
account  may  be  seen  how  these  problems  were  'worked  out 
in  the  fierce  struggles  of  his  own  early  experience. 

Concerning  the  period  in  which  he  was  pursuing  these 
studies  he  says:  "During  this  period  my  former  experience 
in  the  Christian  life  was  not  taken  into  account.  It  furnished 
me  with  no  help  whatever.  And  even  after  this  struggle 
was  over,  and  I  began  to  seek  my  personal  salvation  again, 


44  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

at  first  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that  I  had  once  been  a  Chris- 
tian. I  commenced  entirely  anew.  When  I  set  about  it  in 
good  earnest  I  purposed  to  do  it  among  a  people  that  I  thought 
would  not  annoy  me  about  preaching.  But  here  I  found 
myself  mistaken  again.  Scarcely  had  I  obtained  a  little  light 
on  experimental  religion  before  the  minister  whose  church  I 
attended,  met  me  in  the  street  one  day  and  made  an  appoint- 
ment with  me  to  meet  him  at  his  house  at  a  certain  time. 
When  the  time  came,  fearing  it  was  the  old  subject  that 
was  coming  up,  I  did  not  go.  When  I  met  him  again,  he 
expressed  his  disappointment  at  my  failure  to  come,  and  set 
another  time  for  me.  When  the  time  came  I  went,  and  my 
fears  proved  true.  Said  he:  'I  have  little  confidence  in  im- 
pressions, but  I  wish  to  know  for  my  own  satisfaction  if  you 
have  ever  been  called  of  God  to  preach.  I  wish  you  to  give 
me  a  direct  answer.'  In  my  soul  I  cried  out,  'My  God!  am 
I  found  out  here  also?'  I  then  frankly  answered:  'I  have.' 
But  I  stated  to  him  that  there  were  barriers  now  in  my  way, 
the  principal  one  of  which  was  a  promise  to  marry.  This 
barrier  I  had  placed  in  the  way  some  time  before.  My  object 
was  to  create  an  obligation  that  would  prevent  me  from  enter- 
ing the  ministry.  This  proved  to  be  another  great  mistake 
of  my  life.  I  was  soon  made  to  know  how  surely  God 
could  confront  me,  how  terribly  he  could  chastise  me,  and 
how  intensely  I  could  be  made  to  suffer." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  BITTER  and  sorrowful  experience  occasioned  by  his 
rash  marriage  engagement  will  be  related  in  Mr.  Redfield's 
own  words.  Speaking  of  this  matter,  he  says: 

"  Gladly  would  I  suppress  this  chapter  of  my  life,  were  it 
not  for  the  fact  that  the  cause  of  Christ  has  suffered  from  the 
misrepresentations  of  it  that  have  gone  forth  to  the  world.  I 
might  have  told  my  story  long  ago  and  saved  myself  much 
misunderstanding,  but  I  wished  not  to  appear  as  the  revealer 
of  my  family  soivows.  If  I  had  spoken,  my  enemies  would 
have  made  capital  of  that,  as  they  have  made  capital  of  my 
silence.  Now  at  the  close  of  my  life  I  feel  free  to  speak.  I 
shall  withhold  much  of  the  worse,  and  only  state  enough  to 
give  a  specimen  of  what  I  have  suffered.  I  ask  the  candid 
reader  to  make  the  case  his  own,  and  then  ask  himself  if  he 
would  have  done  better.  I  have  not  borne  all  this  in  silence 
and  alone,  refusing  to  accept  of  that  relief,  which  making 
known  the  facts  would  have  given  me,  and  making  them 
known  now  in  order  to  gain  sympathy.  It  is  too  late  for 
that;  my  only  object  is  to  correct  unjust  imputations  on  the 
cause  for  which  I  have  labored.  I  must,  as  a  last  act  of  my 
life,  do  this.  What  I  now  give  to  the  world  of  this  unfor- 
tunate affair,  is  all  that  it  will  ever  get,  unless  circumstances 
shall  compel  me  to  give  more. 

"  I  married  one  whom  I  thought  would  make  me  a  happy 
home.  I  hired  me  a  house  at  the  desire  and  with  the  ap- 
proval of  my  wife,  but  within  three  weeks  was  compelled 
to  abandon  it.  I  found  she  was  no  more  fit  than  a  child  to 
take  an  interest  in  or  care  for  a  home.  I  saw  no  other  way 
than  to  board.  I  could  find  but  one  place  where  I  thought 
it  at  all  proper  to  board,  and  that  was  at  her  own  father's 
home.  Put  he  soon  told  me  I  must  take  her  away  for  he 

(45) 


46  LIFE  OF  JOHN-  W.  REDFIKLD. 

could  no  longer  endure  her.  I  hired  another  house.  To 
make  it  at  all  possible  to  keep  house  I  was  obliged  to  hire 
housekeepers,  but  it  was  only  to  have  them  turned  away  as 
fast  as  I  could  hire  them.  In  one  week  I  hired  six  in  succes- 
sion and  all  were  turned  away  within  that  time.  I  next  sent 
for  my  sister,  who  came  and  tried  to  make  my  home  tolerable; 
but  in  a  few  days  I  was  compelled  to  permit  her  to  go  else- 
where to  board  until  she  could  arrange  to  go  home. 

"I  next  tried  to  get  along  by  doing  the  housework  myself 
and  hide  from  the  world  my  misfortune;  but  neglecting  to 
keep  my  doors  fastened,  I  was  caught  doing  my  own  cook- 
ing. When  asked  of  the  whereabouts  of  my  wife,  I  could 
not  tell,  for  I  did  not  know.  The  fact  of  my  being  alone 
and  doing  my  own  cooking  soon  reached  the  ears  of  her 
parents,  who,  mortified  by  their  daughter's  conduct,  attempted 
to  bring  about  a  reform.  I  had  kept  all  this  to  myself,  not 
even  telling  them.  Her  father,  learning  that  she  often  came 
to  his  home,  and  left  me  to  do  the  work  in  mine,  forbade  her 
coming  again  without  me.  Of  this  I  was  ignorant  for  a 
long  time. 

"  Late  one  night  she  told  me  she  was  going  home  and  I  must 
accompany  her.  I  replied:  'It  is  late,  and  your  people  will 
be  in  bed.  I  cannot  go  and  disturb  them,  as  there  is  no  urgent 
need.'  I  then  locked  the  door,  put  away  the  key  and  went 
to  bed. 

"  I  was  soon  aroused  by  the  fall  of  a  window.  I  imme- 
diately arose,  and  saw  she  was  out  of  the  house,  and  with  a 
light  in  her  hand  was  passing  through  the  back  way,  going 
to  her  father's  house.  I  knew  now  there  was  fresh  trouble 
for  me.  So,  I  staid  up  awaiting  the  results.  I  soon  heard  a 
heavy  knock  at  the  door.  I  went  to  it,  opened  it,  and  asked 
who  was  there  and  what  was  wanted.  It  was  her  father. 
Said  he,  <I  will  see  if  you  are  going  to  turn  my  daughter 
out  of  doors.'  1  had  no  light,  and  he  tried  to  find  me  in  the 
darkness.  I  knew  by  the  tone  of  his  voice  that  he  was 


FAMILY  TROUBLES.  47 

greatly  exasperated,  and  determined  to  commit  violence  upon 
me.  I  ran  into  the  parlor,  and  he  followed.  'Be  quiet  and 
calm,  until  I  can  explain  to  you,' I  said.  But  he  was  too  excited 
to  hearken  to  reason,  and  only  knew  my  whereabouts  when  I 
spoke.  I  could  hear  his  footsteps  and  thereby  I  kept  out  of 
his  way.  Thus  I  continued  to  avoid  him  until  he  so  far  cooled 
down  as  to  pass  out  and  go  home.  I  then  closed  and  fastened 
the  door,  fully  resolved  that  I  would  never  submit  to  have 
her  return  until  the  matter  was  fully  understood  and  settled. 
1  cooked  my  breakfast  when  the  morning  came,  and  went 
out  to  my  business. 

"About  10  o'clock  she  came  and  asked  my  forgiveness,  and 
desired  me  to  give  her  the  key  to  the  house.  1  told  her  she 
could  not  have  the  key  until  the  last  night's  difficulties  were 
settled.  'Well,'  said  she,  'go  down  home  with  me  and  I 
will  confess  it  all.'  So  down  we  went  to  her  parents'  house. 
We  found  them  in  a  very  unpleasant  mood.  I  spoke  to  her 
mother,  calling  her  by  that  title.  She  said,  'Don't  you  call 
me  mother  as  long  as  you  treat  my  daughter  as  you  have.' 

"  I  replied,  '  Let  your  daughter  tell   her'  own  story   then.' 

"I  then  asked  her,  'Did  I  turn  you  out  of  doors?' 

"  She  answered,  '  No,  sir.' 

"  'Did  you  not  leave  the  house  when  I  was  asleep?' 

" '  Yes,  sir.' 

"'Did  I  know  you  were  going?' 

'"  No,  sir.' 

"  'Did  you  not  climb  out  of  the  window  as  still  as  possible, 
so  as  not  to  awaken  me?' 

"'Yes,  sir.' 

"'Then',  asked  her  parents,  'why  did  you  say  to  us,  that 
he  turned  you  out  ?' 

"She  answered,  'Because  you  told  me  never  to  come 
home  again  unaccompanied  by  my  husband,  unless  he  should 
turn  me  out  of  doors.  I  made  up  the  story  so  you  would  let 
me  stay.' 


48  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"Now  the  whole  indignation  turned  against  her,  until  she 
called  upon  me  to  protect  her.  I  felt  sorry  for  her  father, 
for  if  he  got  the  right  of  a  matter  he  had  generosity  and 
Christianity  enough  to  induce  him  to  do  right.  I  could  but 
feel  that  through  this  whole  affair  he  was  an  honorable  and 
right-minded  man. 

''I  now  permitted  her  to  return.  But  the  same  state  of 
things  continued. 

"Next  I  was  suddenly  called  upon  by  a  church  committee 
to  investigate  matters  that  could  not  be  tolerated  longer.  I 
said  to  them  'Go  on  and  find  out  all  you  can,  for  I  am  igno- 
rant of  the  object  of  your  investigation.' 

"I  permitted  her  to  tell  her  own  story  uncorrected.  They 
found  it  entirely  a  matter  of  misrepresentation.  She  con- 
fessed the  whole  to  be  false.  She  had  reported  that  I  would 
not  make  any  provision  for  her  wants.  That  I  had  starved 
her  by  not  providing  the  necessaries  of  life.  When  the  com- 
mittee found  plain  bread,  meat,  and  all  kinds  of  provisions  in 
abundance,  her  mother  greatly  mortified,  asked  her  how  long 
these  things  had  been  in  the  house,  she  answered, 

"'I  have  never  been  out  of  them.' 

"  'Then,  what  could  you  mean  thus  to  report  what  is 
false?' 

"'Oh!' said  she, 'I  wanted  some  oysters,  and  he  said  he 
could  'not  find  them,  and  I  didn't  believe  him.'  The  commit- 
tee knew  it  was  the  season  when  there  were  none  in  the  mar- 
ket. 

"Again,  her  mother,  deeply  mortified,  upbraided  her  se- 
verely, when  she  turned  to  me  for  protection,  saying, 'I  won- 
der how  you  can  live  with  me?' 

"I  was  exonerated  by  the  committee  of  course,  and  one  of 
them  said  to  me,  'No  one  can  blame  you  if  you  leave  that 
woman,  for  such  conduct  is  past  all  forbearance.' 

"  But  all  I  could  do  was  to  wait  for  deliverance  in  God's 
time.  Nothing  but  the  consciousness  that  I  was  enduring 


FAMILY  TROUBLES.  49 

the  result  of  my  own  disobedience  made  my  case  endurable. 
And  my  conscientiousness  would  not  allow  me  to  take  legal 
steps  to  get  rid  of  her. 

"I  was  now  taken  violently  sick,  and  was  brought  nigh 
unto  death.  It  was  the  first  of  the  cholera  season,  and  I 
was  the  only  one  afflicted  with  the  disease  in  that  section  who 
survived.  I  passed  into  what  is  called  the  stage  of  collapse ; 
but  I  felt,  I  have  not  yet  done  my  work,  and  I  cannot  die. 
I  then  felt,  I  shall  not  die.  Shortly  after  this  I  was  restored 
to  health. 

"Stilf  my  family  trouble  continued.  Now  and  then  my 
wife  would  have  a  religious  streak.  One  night  after  making 
a  great  disturbance  and  giving  me  a  terrible  scolding,  she 
suddenly  turned  upon  me  and  commanded  me  to  pray  as  her 
father  prayed.  To  this  I  replied,  '  I  cannot  think  of  mock- 
ing God  by  any  mixture  of  prayer  with  such  wicked  and 
violent  manifestations  of  temper.'  I  saw  she  took  it  in  ill 
part,  but  I  thought  it  best  to  drop  the  matter  and  go  to  rest, 
still  keeping  a  disguised  but  vigilant  watch  of  her.  When 
she  supposed  me  to  be  asleep,  I  saw  her  come  near  enough 
to  me  to  get  a  clear  view  of  me  and  how  and  where  I  lay. 
She  then  took  the  light  and  set  it  back  so  it  would  not  shine 
in  my  face.  I  could  see  her  movements,  however,  all  the 
better.  She  then  went  to  the  fire-place  and  took  up  a  pair  of 
heavy  brass-mounted  tongs,  and  taking  a  good  hold  of  them 
with  both  hands,  she  came  softly  within  a  few  feet  of  me, 
and  then  darted  upon  me  with  great  fury  and  began  to  strike 
with  heavy  blows  at  my  head.  Having  seen  the  whole 
operation,  I  was  prepared  for  it;  and  by  holding  the  bed- 
clothes over  my  face  and  head,  I  received  the  blows  upon  my 
arms. 

"  For  some  time  after,  I  felt  I  had  reason  to  fear  much 
more  violence  from  her.  I  kept  up  a  vigilant  watch,  but 
unbeknown  to  any  one  else.  I  could  not  inform  even  her 
own  parents  of  this,  much  less  others. 


50  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"Several  times,  by  accident  or  intentionally,  she  burned 
up  her  dresses,  and  then  came  to  me  and  demanded  more.  I 
think  her  mother  must  have  known  that  she  burned  them; 
for  once  she  came  to  me  and  asked  me  to  furnish  her  with 
one  or  two  cheap  ones  to  keep  peace.  Then  when  I  did 
this  the  mother  made  a  fuss  about  it,  and  went  among  their 
relatives  with  a  subscription  to  buy  her  daughter  a  more  ex- 
pensive suit,  declaring  that  I  refused  to  dress  her  in  a  becom- 
ing manner. 

"When  my  friends  came  to  see  me  she  would  tell  them 
to  leave  for  they  could  not  be  harbored  there.  My  troubles 
had  now  become  so  great,  and  having  none  to  whom  I  could 
tell  them,  I  cried,  'O  Lord,  my  punishment  is  greater  than  I 
can  bear.'  I  was  unfit  for  business,  and  in  short  was  so 
broken  in  spirit  that  I  could  not  attend  to  business  as  it  was 
necessary  to  do,  and  was  obliged  to  fail.  I  gave  up  all  I  had 
to  the  last  chair  and  spoon.  I  had  nothing  left.  I  could  not 
hire  a  room,  nor  would  my  wife  stay  if  I  did.  There  was 
only  one  place  where  I  could  procure  shelter  for  the  night, 
and  that  was  her  father's  house.  What  to  do  or  where  to 
turn  was  more  than  I  could  tell.  I  might  have  found  some 
employment,  but  no  place  for  permanent  board,  as  no  one 
would  board  my  wife.  Her  father  would  only  engage  to  board 
her  until  we  could  leave  town  and  rid  them  of  the  mortifica- 
tion to  which  they  were  subject  on  her  account.  I  believe 
they  felt  truly  sorry  for  me  when  they  saw  me  in  this  dis- 
tressed condition.  They  advised  me  to  take  up  some  busi- 
ness with  which  I  could  travel  and  hoped  that  my  wife  being 
among  strangers  might  do  better.  I  borrowed  money  enough 
to  get  out  of  town,  and  went  where  she  was  not  known, 
and  soon  procured  a  place  to  board;  but  shortly  I  saw  from 
the  deportment  of  the  people  that  something  was  amiss.  I 
knew  my  only  way  was  to  keep  perfectly  still  and  wait  for 
matters  to  develop.  We  had  staid  in  this  place  about  four 
weeks  when  the  lady  of  the  house  informed  me  that  we  could 


FAMILY  TROUBLES.  51 

not  stay  longer.  I  found  this  had  come  from  misrepresenta- 
tions of  me.  I  had  known  it  was  going  on,  but  I  had  thought 
it  best  not  to  attempt  to  correct  it  until  I  was  compelled  to; 
for  I  utterly  despised  the  man  who  would  reveal  the  afflictions 
to  which  he  was  subjected  by  a  bad  wife.  When  the  truth 
came  out  the  lady  of  the  house  expressed  her  sympathy  for 
me,  and  said  'You  are  welcome  to  stay  as  long  as  you  please, 
but  I  cannot  have  my  house  so  disturbed  by  that  woman; you 
must  take  her  away.'  I  secured  another  place  but  could  stay 
only  one  week.  I  then  procured  a  team  and  took  her  some 
thirty  or  forty  miles  away  among  strangers  again.  I  found 
a  place  in  a  genteel  family.  Here  we  staid  twelve  weeks. 

"  I  soon  saw  that  something  was  going  wrong,  but  waited 
again  for  developments  to  indicate  my  course  of  action. 
It  continually  became  more  evident  that  my  time  was  coming 
to  a  close.  One  day  the  lady  said  to  me:  'Such  has  been  the 
reports  by  your  wife  concerning  you  that  I  have  believed  you 
to  be  a  bad  man.  But  I  have  found  out  where  the  trouble 
lies,  and  though  I  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  your  afflic- 
tion, yet,  we  can  endure  her  no  longer.'  Of  course  I  expected 
this,  and  I  could  not  blame  them  for  turning  me  into  the 
street.  What  to  do  I  could  not  tell ;  houseless  and  homeless, 
and  almost  without  money  and'no  place  to  get  board  where 
my  wife  was  known,  I  must  leave  town  to  find  a  place 
for  shelter.  So  we  took  stage  to  a  place  about  fifty 
miles  away.  Here  we  got  board  in  a  public  house ;  but 
after  only  a  few  hours  she  positively  refused  to  stay 
a  day  or  a  night.  Now  I  did  not  know  what  to  do. 
Finally  I  said  to  myself:  'I  will  try  one  more  experi- 
ment; I  will  take  her  to  my  father's  house;  her  own  father 
will  not  take  her,  and  every  boarding  house  refuses  to 
keep  her  or  bear  with  her.  I  took  the  next  stage  and 
brought  her  to  my  father's.  I  went  on  some  fifty  miles 
farther,  and  here  my  funds  were  exhausted  and  I  was  in  great 
distress  of  mind  though  I  managed  to  hide  my  sufferings  from 


•J2  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

others.     I  soon  found  that  my  good  old   father  and   mother 

could  not  endure  her  conduct,  and  they  told  me  I  should  not 

live  with  such  a  woman.     I  felt  this  was  my  last  experiment 

and  if  this  failed  the  Lord  knows  I   don't   know  what  to  do 

next.     I  saw  nothing  but  agony  and    the   poor-house  as  the 

final  winding-up   of  my  calamity.     My  spirit    utterly  sank 

within  me.     I   was  advised  to  leave   her  and  get  a  bill   of 

divorcement  from  her;  but  while  I  was  in  this  suspense,  and 

wondering  what  to  do  next,  all    at   once   she   resolved  to  go 

home  to  her  father's  house   and    demanded  the  money  to  go 

with.     My  funds  were  exhausted,  but  she  insisted  on  going, 

and  actually  started  on  foot  for  a  hundred  miles  through  mud 

and  snow.     When   I   found   she  was  fully  bent  on  going  I 

went  after  her,  and  promised  to  see   if  I  could  send  her  in 

any  way.    So  I  sold  my  watch  to  pay  for  the  hire  of  a  horse 

to  carry  her  home.     I  took  care   not   to  go  myself.     Now  I 

felt  a  little  relief  at  being  free  for  a  short  time  of  my  trouble. 

Very  soon,  however,  a  letter  came   from   her  father  saying 

she  was  very  penitent  and   sorry   for   having    left  me,  and 

would  promise  to  change  her  conduct  if  I  would  take  her 

back.     I  wrote  back  that  I  had  suffered   enough,  and   tried 

experiments  enough,  and   I  could  do  no   more.     I  felt  that 

the  last  bond   of  attachment   had  snapped,  and  that  if  the 

offense  of  not  living  with  her  should  bring  me  to  the  state's 

prison  I  would  go  there. 

"In  the  spring  I  started  for  the  West.  I  passed  through 
the  place  where  her  father  lived,  and  where  she  then  was;  but 
I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  seeing  her.  So  I  passed  on 
about  three  hundred  miles,  and  located  in  Lockport,  N.  Y. 
After  I  was  settled,  I  wrote  to  her  father,  to  let  him  know 
where  I  was,  and  to  inquire  after  the  wretched  woman.  And 
now  he  beset  me  to  take  her  back,  saying  he  believed  she 
would  behave  herself.  I  wrote  back  that  I  had  no  confidence 
in  her  reform,  and  could  on  no  condition  take  her  back.  I 
was  finally  overcome  by  his  entreaties,  however,  and  thought 


WORSE  AND  WORSE.  53 

• 

it  might  be  possible  after  all  that  she  would  do  better,  as  she 
had  professed  to  become  religious.  So  I  wrote  him  that  he 
might  bring  her  about  half  way,  and  I  would  meet  him  and 
her  there,  and  would  make  one  more  trial.  I  went  in  due 
time  to  the  place  and  found  them  there.  I  took  her  to  my 
place  of  residence  and  to  make  all  as  favorable  as  possible 
for  a  successful  trial  we  went  to  a  first-class  hotel  to  board. 
We  staid  one  night  only  when  she  point-blank  refused  to 
stay  any  longer.  So  off  I  went  and  found  a  private  board- 
ing house.  Before  the  week  ended  she  was  turned  out  into 
the  street.  The  lady  of  the  house  forbade  her  returning  on 
any  terms.  She  said  to  me,  'You  are  an  unfortunate  man, 
and  are  welcome  here  as  long  as  you  wish  to  stay;  but  that 
woman  must  not  come  in  at  all'.  A  lady  of  the  place  helped 
us  to  obtain  another  boarding  place,  and  we  found  shelter  for 
the  night.  We  had  staid  here  but  a  few  weeks  when  I  was 
again  warned  to  leave.  I  pleaded  to  be  permitted  to  stay 
from  day  to  day  until  I  could  write  to  her  father  and  ask 
what  could  be  done. 

"The  lady  of  the  house  told  me  she  was  a  bad  woman, 
for  she  had  seen  men  follow  her  off  into  by-places.  I  could 
not  say  anything  in  her  defense  for  I  had  found  her  once  in 
the  embrace  of  one  of  the  boarders,  and  another  who 
thought  me  to  be  "away  came  in  the  night  to  my  room.  He 
tried  to  excuse  himself  as  best  he  could,  but  I  believe  him  to 
have  been  none  too  pure  for  the  commission  of  great  evil.  I 
told  her  how  improperly  she  was  acting,  in  taking  such  liber- 
ties, when  she  gave  me  to  understand  that  she  should  do  as 
she  pleased  without  my  consent. 

"Not  knowing  what  to  do  or  where  to  go,  I  was  nearly 
distracted.  I  was  again  informed  that  she  must  leave  the 
house.  Suddenly  she  said  she  would  go  home  to  her  fa- 
ther's; and  I  must  take  her  to  the  boat,  about  fifteen  miles 
away.  I  did  so,  but  when  we  arrived  at  the  place  the  boat 

was  gone  and    no  other  would  go  until   the  next   week.     I 
6 


54  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

•  must  take  her  back;  but  there  was  no  place  to  stay  for  a  sin- 
gle night,  except  at  a  public  house.  I  thought  I  will  at  least 
have  one  more  night  in  which  to  contrive  what  course  next 
to  take.  In  the  morning  we  started  back  to  the  place  we  had 
left,  and  she  promised  to  let  me  take  a  room  and  keep  house, 
and  she  would  not  leave  me;  but  just  before  we  entered  the 
village,  she  suddenly  resolved  she  would  not  stay,  but  would 
go  home  at  once,  and  I  must  take  her  that  night  to  Rochester 
where  she  could  take  the  cars.  I  knew  it  was  useless  to  at- 
tempt to  persuade  her  to  stay  even  for  the  night.  So  I  bor- 
rowed the  money  and  we  left  that  night  in  the  stage.  When 
we  arrived  at  Rochester,  I  gave  her  the  money  to  pay  her 
fare  all  the  way  home.  As  soon  as  she  had  gone  I  felt  such 
a  sense  of  relief  that  I  fainted,  and  could  with  great  difficulty 
stagger  along  to  a  place  where  I  could  lie  down.  A  high 
nervous  fever  set  in,  and  for  fifteen  days  I  was  not  able  to 
be  moved.  A  physician,  like  a  good  Samaritan  attended  me 
faithfully,  whom  I  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  can  nev- 
er pay.  I  sank  lower  and  lower  until  I  was  near  death. 
Two  consulting  physicians  came  to  visit  me.  They  told  my 
nurse  I  must  die,  and  they  must  make  ready  to  bury  me  in 
two  days.  They  also  told  the  people  where  I  was  staying 
that  my  sickness  must  have  been  caused  by  some  deep  trouble. 
I  knew  not  their  decision,  but  I  saw  them  leave  me  t6  my 
fate. 

"The  old  subject  of  duty  now  came  up,  and  I  inwardly 
felt,  God  will  not  permit  me  to  die;  I  shall  live  to  preach  the 
gospel.  At  once  I  began  to  mend.  In  a  few  days  after 
they  left  me  to  die  I  walked  into  the  doctor's  office.  They 
stared  at  me  as  though  I  had  come  out  of  the  grave.  They 
then  told  me  the  conclusion  of  their  council." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

No  way  is  so  long  but  that  it  has  an  end,  and  no  night  is 
so  dark  but  that  the  dawn  of  day  at  last  dispels  the  dark- 
ness. Even  so  the  end  of  some  of  Mr.  Redfield's  sorrowful 
experiences  was  drawing  near,  and  better  days  were  soon  to 
"dawn  upon  his  pathway,  as  the  sequel,  related  in  his  own 
words,  will  show.  Continuing  the  narrative,  he  says: 

"  When  I  was  able  to  ride,  I  returned  to  the  place  of  my 
late  residence.  My  long  absence  had  induced  the  people  to 
believe  that  I  had  run  away,  and  the  man  with  whom  I 
boarded  had  taken  all  my  possessions,  with  an  absconded 
debtor's  writ.  When  he  learned  the  cause  of  my  prolonged 
absence,  however,  he  returned  me  all  my  property  without 
cost.  Next  I  was  waited  upon  by  a  committee  from  the 
church  to  know  how  my  moral  character  stood.  I  learned 
that  I  had  been  accused  of  keeping  a  bad  woman  in  town 
under  pretense  that  she  was  my  wife;  that  I  had  never  been 
manied  to  her;  and'  that  I  knew  her  to  be  corrupt.  But  I 
was  able  to  convince  the  committee  that  I  was  indeed  un- 
fortunate but  not  criminal;  that  I  was  indeed  married.  I  was 
at  once  restored  to  the  confidence  of  the  church. 

"A  lawyer  learning  the  circumstances  of  my  misfortune, 
came  to  me  and  offered  to  procure  me  a  divorce  free  of  ex- 
pense. But  my  lacerated,  timid  spirit  could  not  consent  to 
go  through  all  the  details  of  litigation. 

"Now  that  I  was  free  from  this  great  trouble,  my  former 
impressions  of  duty  came  upon  me  with  redoubled  force,  and 
I  longed  for  an  abode  away  from  the  busy  world  of  man- 
kind, and  resolved  to  find  me  a  home  like  a  hermit  in  the 
wilderness,  where  I  might  serve  God,  commune  with  nature, 
and  at  last  lay  my  bones  to  rest  in  some  lonely  place  unseen 
and  unknown  by  man.  I  did  go  into  rooms  by  myself,  and 

(55)  . 


56  LII-K  «>!••  JOHN    \\'.    KIDIIII.D. 


but  for  lu-^k-cU'd  duty,  which  it  seemed  to  me  must  now  be 
forever  abandoned,  I  should  have  been  comparatively  happy; 
but  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  afflictions  must  prove  an  obstacle 
in  my  way.  I  thought,  everybody  will  find  out  that  I  have 
had  family  trouble  and  will  feel  at  liberty  to  make  out  of  it 
what  capital  they  please;  and  how  can  I  preach  when  I  am 
thus  marked  with  suspicion?  I  could  have  set  all  things 
right  in  the  eyes  of  the  honest  air.1  well-meaning,  but  I  could  ' 
not  bear  to  go  over  the  facts  of  my  sufferings  for  that  pur- 
pose. No!  I  must  forever  abandon  the  idea  of  preaching. 
Yet,  I  must  meet  God  at  last  and  answer  for  the  neglect  of 
duty.  Night  and  day,  for  a  number  of  years,  I  silently 
brooded  over  my  sad  state,  and  tried  all  means  in  my  power 
to  banish  the  scorpion  stings  of  a  guilty  conscience.  *  You 
knew  your  duty  but  did  it  not,'  constantly  rang  in  my  ears. 
A  large  portion  of  my  time  I  spent  in  the  grove  near  by 
weeping  before  God. 

"I  would  sometimes  go  to  the  church  on  Sunday,  but  the 
sight  of  a  gospel  minister  would  make  me  writhe  with  agony, 
and  compel  me  to  leave.  I  would  then  resort  to  the  woods 
and  there  weep  and  pray  for  deliverance.  Yet  I  kept  this 
all  buried  in  my  heart.  If  I  saw  a  minister  in  the  street  my 
eyes  would  follow  him  as  long  as  I  could  see  him,  and,  choked 
with  emotion,  I  would  sigh  over  my  own  unhappy  state. 

"I  began  to  be  impressed  atone  time  that  I  should  never 
see  my  father  and  mother  again  in  the  flesh.  So  strongly 
did  this  come  that  I  shrank  from  going  to  the  post-office  for 
fear  of  finding  the  sad  tidings  that  they  had  passed  away.  On 
going  and  finding  no  letters  at  all,  it  would  be  with  a  sense 
of  relief.  I  prayed  that  I  might  be  permitted  to  see  them 
again.  An  answer  seemed  to  come,  'You  shall.'  The  fall 
came  and  I  went  to  the  city  of  New  York  to  spend  the  win- 
ter. I  procured  my  winter  quarters  and  began  a  course  of 
study  in  the  fine  arts.  I  now  felt  a  strong  impression  to  go 
immediately  to  my  father's  home.  I  had  felt  perfectly  at 


DEATH  OF  FATHER  AND  MOTHER.       57 

rest  as  to  the  health  of  my  parents  from  the  witness  I  received 
that  I  should  see  them  again.  I  promised  myself  that  I  would 
take  the  steamboat  the  last  of  the  week,  and  go  home.  It 
was  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  But  I  was  so  urged 
by  my  impression  to  go  that  I  decided  to  start  a  day  earlier 
than  I  first  intended.  Still  that  did  not  seem  to  be  satisfac- 
tory, and  finally  I  resolved  to  take  the  first  boat.  I  did  so 
and  arrived  home  just  one  clay  before  my  mother  died.  Her 
last  rational  word  was,  in  effect,  "I  could  die  in  peace  if  my 
son  would  do  his  duty."  She  was  then  dying  of  apoplexy. 
I  watched  my  opportunity  to  go  to  her  dying  bed  when  we 
could  be  alone,  and  tried  to  arouse  her,  but  I  got  no  response. 
I  took  hold  of  her,  and  said,  'Mother,  do  speak  to  me  once 
more.'  I  wanted  to  tell  her  I  would  obey  the  call  of  God  to 
preach  the  gospel ;  but  she  was  too  far  gone  to  understand 
me.  Ten  days  later  my  dear  father  fell  sick  and  passed 
away. 

"I  followed  them  to  the  tomb,  but  oh!  how  my  heart  did 
sink  on  leaving  them  in  their  last  resting  place.  Memory 
with  a  thousand  tongues  spoke  of  the  anguish  I  had  caused 
that  sainted  mother.  I  had  so  often  heard  her  prayers 
as  she  pleaded  with  God  to  spare  her  boy  and  fit  him  for 
the  mission  that  was  awaiting  him.  I  found  myself  at  home 
after  father's  funeral,  by  the  desolate  hearth-stone,  but  so  sad 
at  my  loss  that  I  have  never  been  able  to  call  to  mind  any  of 
the  circumstances. 

"I  went  almost  immediately  to  visit  one  of  my  sisters 
who  lately  had  lost  her  husband.  She  was  glad  to  see  me, 
but  began  at  once  to  urge  me  to  promise  that  I  would  go  and 
preach  the  gospel.  She  said:  'You  know,  brother  John, 
that  mother  has  gone  to  her  grave  broken-hearted  over  your 
neglect  to  obey  God.  And  now  this  is  the  last  time  that  I 
shall  ever  see  you  on  earth,  and  I  want  you  to  promise  me 
that  you  will  do  your  duty,  and  let  me  carry  that  promise  to 
mother.' 


58  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RBDFIKLD. 

"'But,'  said' I,  'I  shall  visit  you  again  next  week.' 
"  'No,'  she  said,  'this  is   the   last    time  we   shall  meet  on 
earth,  so  you  must  promise.' 

"  Her  appeals  in  mother's  name  broke  me  down,  and  to 
get  rid  of  her  importunity,  I  made  a  promise  which  she  con- 
strued to  mean  all  that  she  desired,  and  then  she  said:  'Come, 
brother,  let  us  get  down  and  ratify  it  before  God.'  Of  course 
I  knelt,  and  she  poured  out  her  soul  for  me  in  tones  and 
words  that  stung  me  to  the  quick.  We  arose,  and  I  left  her 
house  expecting  to  visit  her  again  the  next  week;  but  on 
going  to  the  post-office  I  found  a  letter  calling  me  to  go  im- 
mediately six  hundred  miles  away  as  an  important  witness  in 
court.  I  obeyed  the  summons,  and  my  sister's  words  proved 
true.  I  never  saw  her  again.  I  learned  in  about  a  month 
from  the  time  I. saw  her  last,  that  she,  too,  had  passed  away 
to  the  spirit  land. 

"  I  was  very  sad  because  of  these  repeated  desolations  in 
the  loss  of  my  dearest  earthly  friends,  but  conscience  bade 
me  be  still  and  know  that  God  was  dealing  with  me  in 
mercy  in  permitting  me  to  live,  and  that  in  view  of  the  pos- 
sibility that  I  might  yet  do  my  duty." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MR.  REDFIELD  soon  returned  to  his  bachelor's  hall  again. 
It  must  have  been  a  curiosity  shop  indeed.  Shelves  covered 
the  walls  on  all  sides.  These  shelves  were  loaded  with 
geological  specimens,  freaks  of  nature  in  wood  and  stone, 
Indian  relics  and  mechanism  of  his  own  invention.  Two 
mice,  bound  with  delicate  chains  of  his  own  manufacture, 
which  fed  and  sported  and  slept  at  their  pleasure,  were  his  only 
companions. 

Here  he  secluded  himself  from  the  world  and  Christian 
friends  lest  some  of  them  should  mention  the  subject  of 
preaching  the  gospel.  Neither  he  nor  they  could  let  the  sub- 
ject alone.  His  presence  impressed  them  with  the  subject, 
and  his  sore  heart  kept  it  upon  his  own  mind  whether  sleep- 
ing or  waking. 

One  day  he  met  the  Methodist  preacher  in  the  street, 
who  began  immediately  to  urge  him  to  consent  to  go  to 
work  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  He  tried  to  avoid  it  by 
arguing  both  himself  and  the  minister  to  another  conclusion. 
He  had  held  an  exhorter's  license  for  some  time,  which  had 
been  crowded  upon  him  against  his  will,  but  he  had  never 
used  it.  The  minister  now  asked  that  he  might  present  his 
Case  to  the  leader's  meeting  for  a  recommendation  for  a 
license  to  preach.  A  strong  and  abiding  impression  seized 
him  that  unless  he  consented  he  would  be  killed  by  lightning. 
It  seemed  to  him  utter  foolishness  to  allow  himself  to  be 
swayed  by  any  such  thing;  especially  in  a  matter  of  such 
moment.  His  past  experiences  of  a  similar  nature  helped 
this  impression  to  take  the  firmer  hold  upon  him.  It  haunted 
him  day  and  night  for  a  long  time.  When  the  terrible  thun- 
der storms  which  frequently  passed  over  would  arise,  and 
especially  in  the  night,  all  his  peace  and  rest  and  sleep  would 
be  at  an  end  until  the  storm  ceased.  He  would  resort  to  all 

(59) 


6o  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

the  precautionary  measures  that  his  knowledge  of  the  laws 
of  electricity  would  suggest  to  him,  as  opening  the  windows 
and  giving  a  free  circulation  of  air  through  the  room,  setting 
a  chair  in  glass  tumhlers  and  sitting  in  it  with  the  feet  upon 
the  rounds,  and  then  pray  and  tremhle  until  the  storm  was 
over.  The  familiar  acquaintances  of  the  man  can  fully 
appreciate  this. 

This  state  of  mind  lasted  for  some  weeks,  when  one  night 
his  fears  became  so  great  that  he  promised  most  fervently, 
that  if  God  would  relieve  him,  he  would  present  his  case 
himself  to  the  leaders'  meeting  on  the  first  opportunity  to  do 
so.  In  an  instant,  when  the  storm  was  at  its  highest,  his  re- 
quest was  granted,  and  he  went  to  rest  and  sleep,  as  calmly 
as  ever  in  his  life. 

The  Friday  evening  after,  the  leaders  were  to  meet,  and 
he  went  to  redeem  his  pledge.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the 
basement  of  the  church.  When  a  suitable  opportunity  came, 
he  arose  and  stated  his  feelings.  He  was  about  to  retire  as 
usual  in  such  cases,  when  he  was  stopped  by  one  of  the  mem- 
bers and  asked  how  he  stood  on  the  question  of  abolitionism. 
This  question  was  then  greatly  agitating  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  He  answered,  "  I  am  an  abolitionist  of 
the  strongest  tvpe." 

"Then  I  shall  oppose  the  recommendation."  said  the 
brother. 

lie  earnestly  hoped  they  would  not  grant  the  recom- 
mendation, for  that,  he  thought,  would  release  him ;  and  to 
make  it  doubly  sure,  he  now  said,  "  I  wish  it  distinctly  under- 
stood that  if  I  am  granted  a  license  to  preach,  and  that  shall 
add  anything  to  the  influence  I  now  possess,  I  shall  certainly 
use  it  for  God  and  the  slave.  So  now  your  eyes  are  open 
and  you  know  what  I  am  and  what  to  expect." 

Again  it  was  remarked,  "  We  shall  contest  the  matter." 

lie  retired,  and  immediately  the  vote  was  taken,  and  the 
recommendation  was  granted.  The  meeting  adjourned,  and 


URGED  AGAIN  TO  TAKE  A  CIRCUIT.  61 

before  they  had  hardly  reached  their  homes  the  church  was 
struck  with  lightning.  This  made  a  profound  impression 
upon  him,  and  when  soon  after,  the  quarterly  conference 
convened,  he  was  ready  to  be  examined  according  to  disci- 
pline. The  license  was  granted,  but  when  it  was  handed  to 
him,  he  felt  he  could  not  use  it. 

He  was  in  constant  dread  of  his  wife's  returning,  for  he 
believed  he  could  do  nothing  with  her.  He  was  also  in  con- 
stant fear  that  the  tongue  of  slander  would  break  out  upon 
him  in  regard  to  his  family  matters,  and  that  the  more  cer- 
tainly if  he  began  to  preach.  He  used  the  license  for  a  few 
times,  and  was  urged  to  go  upon  a  circuit  as  a  supply.  He 
consented  to  this  for  a  short  time,  and  though  pressed  to  con- 
tinue, he  refused.  He  also  refused  to  accept  of  any  com- 
pensation for  his  services.  He  not  only  shrank  from  the 
responsibilities  of  the  sacred  office,  but  also  from  the  very 
name  of  a  Christian  minister,  and  pay  for  his  services  implied 
that.  He  finally  gave  up  preaching  altogether,  and  went  to 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  the  winter. 


CHAPTER    X. 

IN  CLEVELAND,  Mr.  Retlficld  engaged  in  his  chosen 
profession — portrait  painting.  He  gave  in  his  letter  to  the 
church,  and  was  enrolled  as  a  local  preacher.  Now  and  then, 
he  preached  as  called  upon  by  the  pastor,  and  during  the  fol- 
lowing winter  assisted  in  a  protracted  meeting.  His  labors 
were  owned  of  God  in  the  conversion  of  souls. 

By  invitation  he  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  Seaman's 
Bethel  one  Sunday  in  the  absence  of  the  stated  preacher. 
When  the  hour  came  he  found  the  house  full.  He  resolved 
to  do  his  whole  duty.  While  speaking  against  gambling, 
swearing,  horse  racing  and  drunkenness,  one  cried  out  from 
the  congregation,  "Do  you  mean  me?  Do  you  mean  me?" 
He  instantly  replied,  "If  that  is  your  case,  I  certainly  mean 
you."  When  the  services  closed  the  deacon  who  had  in- 
vited him  to  preach  said  to  him,  "That  was  a  very  sad  mis- 
take, and  you  have  done  us  a  great  wrong."  And  then,  as  if 
to  spare  his  feelings,  he  excused  the  matter  thus: 

"Our  minister,  I  don't  think  is  quite  right.  He  knows 
they  will  do  these  things  of  which  you  spoke,  but  he  never 
reproves  them,  or  speaks  against  such  conduct,  and  they  are 
all  bound  up  in  him.  Sometimes  I  think  he  does  not  go  far 
enough,  but  you  went  entirely  too  far.  And  besides  this, 
many  of  these  are  rough  sailors  and  they  will  not  bear  re- 
proof." 

Shocked  at  this,  Mr.  Redfield  turned  away  with  a  thank- 
ful heart  that  he  was  not  more  closely  identified  with 
such  a  state  of  things,  and  resolved  that  what  work  he 
did  for  the  Lord  should  be  faithfully  done. 

Soon  after  this  his  pastor  asked  him  for  his  views  on  the 
slavery  question.  The  answer  was,  "I  am  an  abolitionist 
from  head  to  foot." 

"Then,"  asked  lie,  "would  you  be  willing  to  give  us  a  lect- 

(fi2) 


AN  ABOLITIONIST.  63 

ure  on  the  subject?  Our  hands  are  tied  by  a  vote  of  the 
conference  which  forbids  the  preachers  meddling  with  the 
question;  yet  the  colonizationists  make  it  a  point  to  create  all 
the  prejudice  against  us  they  can,  until  some  people  think 
we  are  the  vilest  disorganizers  in  the  land.  I  am  not  allowed 
to  speak  for  the  poor  dumb  slave  under  pain  of  conference 
penalties.  And  it  does  seem  that  those  who  dare  should  be 
permitted  to  speak  the  sentiments  of  the  anti-slavery  part  of 
the  church.  There  are  a  number  of  strong  abolitionists  in 
the  city  who  would  be  glad  to  stand  by  any  one  who  dares 
to  take  a  firm  stand;  but  they  have  not  the  courage  to  take  a 
stand  themselves  unless  some  one  takes  the  lead  and  meets 
the  brunt  of  the  opposition,  which  is  sure  to  come,  when  an 
anti-slavery  society  is  started." 

Mr.  Redfield  promised  the  preacher  to  lecture,  feeling 
glad  that  he  had  nothing  too  good  to  sacrifice  in  such  a 
cause. 

The  appointment  for  the  lecture  was  made.  When  the 
time  came,  a  mob  had  collected,  nailed  up  the  doors  of  the 
building  in  which  the  lecture  was  to  be  given,  and  were  wait- 
ing for  the  lecturer  himself.  He  felt  it  was  no  compromise 
of  right  or  conscience  to  avoid  an  infuriated  mob,  when  by 
no  possibility  could  he  get  a  hearing. 

His  quiet  retirement  aroused  the  better  element  of  society, 
who  were  not  prepared  to  surrender  the  right  of  free  speech 
in  a  free  state  to  a  mob.  A  demand  was  therefore  made 
that  the  house  be  opened,  and  Mr.  Redfield  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  present  the  views  of  the  abolitionists.  The  plea 
was  made  that  the  colonizationists  had  free  opportunity  to 
misrepresent  the  abolitionists,  and  it  was  no  more  than  right 
that  the  latter  have  an  opportunity  to  reply.  Another  ap- 
pointment was  then  made. 

Before  the  time  came  round,  Mr.  Redfield  had  the 
opportunity  to  prepare  himself  more  perfectly  for  the  occa- 
sion. The  opposition  to  the  first  meeting  created  a  deeper 


64  LIFE  OF  JOHN  VV.  REDFIEI.D. 

and  wider  interest  to  hear  him.  It  also  aroused  him  to  see 
more  clearly  the  terrible  sinfulness  of  the  slavery  feeling  in 
this  country,  and  to  make  the  stronger  effort  against  it. 

Mr.  Rcdfield's  lecture  gave  a  synopsis  of  the  slave  codes 
in  each  State;  the  attempts  of  humanitarians  in  these  states 
to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  slaves;  and  the  facts  recited 
in  the  preambles  of  the  bills  presented  in  the  different  legis- 
latures for  this  purpose.  These  referred  to  the  taking  of 
the  lives  of  slaves;  robbing  female  slaves  of  their  virtue; 
and  the  overworking  and  starving  of  field  hands.  He  then 
called  attention  to  the  extent  and  the  manner  in  which  these 
laws  were  disobeyed,  and  the  advantage  that  masters  took  of 
their  legal  powers.  He  read  extracts  from  Southern  papers 
to  illustrate  the  foregoing,  one  of  which  was  as  follows: 

"RAN    AWAY    FROM    THE    SUBSCRIBER. 

"My  slave,  Sally,  who,  without  doubt,  is  lurking  about 
the  plantation  of  Mr.  -  — ,  in  Georgia,  as  I  sold  her  hus- 
band to  that  gentleman  about  eighteen  months  ago.  She  has 
been  very  sullen  ever  since.  She  will  try  to  pass  herself  off 
as  a  white  woman,  as  she  is  very  white  and  beautiful  spoken, 
and  very  capable  of  putting  on  the  airs  of  a  white  lady. 
Fearing  she  might  run  away  I  took  the  pains  to  mark  her  by 
knocking  out  two  of  her  front  teeth  and  branding  her  on 
the  buttocks  with  the  letter  S.  She  is  likewise  much  scarred 
with  the  whip  on  her  neck  and  shoulders.  Her  legs  are  torn 
by  the  dogs,  done  in  catching  her  fifteen  months  ago.  Her 
left  thumb  has  the  mark  of  a  rifle  ball  where  I  shot  her  be- 
fore she  would  surrender." 

This  was  followed  by  recitals  of  cruelty,  blood-curdling  to 
read  at  the  present  day. 

Mr.  Rcdfield's  audience  was  large  and  many  present 
were  members  of  the  mob  which  gathered  at  the  time  of  the 
other  appointment.  He  observed  before  he  was  through  that 
the  opposition  began  to  yield,  and  the  mob  spirit  to  quiet 


FORMING  AN  ANTI-SLAVERY  SOCIETY.  65 

down.  He  had  expected  that  an  attack  would  be  made  upon 
him  before  he  was  through,  but  all  remained  quiet. 

He  finished  the  lecture  with  a  picture  in  which  the  actors 
were  reversed.  The  scene  was  in  Algeria.  The  slaves  were 
Americans.  The  same  scenes  were  enacted  as  read  from  the 
Southern  advertisements.  He  then  appealed  to  their  sense 
of  justice  and  honor.  He  finished  by  representing  himself 
as  hazarding  his  reputation  and  life  by  pleading  for  those 
supposed  Americans  in  Algeria,  and  asking  his  audience  if 
now  they  thought  him  worthy  of  tar  and  feathers  and  other 
maltreatment.  He  waited  for  the  mob  to  make  a  demon- 
stration, inviting  them  to  do  so  if  they  thought  it  right,  but 
all  remained  quiet.  He  then  said:  "If  you  think  the  cause 
is  worthy  of  support,  we  will  form  an  a^iti-slavery  society." 
Nearly  all  present  were  then  enrolled  as  members.  This 
was  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  made  in  the  city. 

Soon  after  the  lecture  and  the  organization  of  the  society,  he 
was  called  upon  to  put  his  principles  in  practice.  Cleveland 
was  a  point  on  the  under-ground  railroad  where  many  fugi- 
tives from  slavery  took  their  departure  from  the  United 
States,  where  they  were  unsafe,  to  the  Dominion  of  Canada 
where  they  would  be  safe.  It  was  a  criminal  act,  according 
to  the  law  of  the  land,  to  harbor  or  assist  a  fugitive  slave. 

One  Sunday  evening  he  observed  in  the  congregation  at 
church  a  tall,  straight,  well-built  and  genteel  appearing  man, 
who,  with  hymn-book. in  hand,  took  part  in  the  worship.  The 
hue  of  his  skin  and  the  wavy  ringlets  of  his  hair  showed 
him  to  be  one  of  the  despised  race  which  the  law  of  the  land 
and  the  unwritten  creed  of  some  of  the  churches  had  de- 

• 

clared  had  no  rights  that  white  men   were  bound  to   respect. 

Shortly  after  night-fall  the  same  manly  form  came  to  Mr. 
Redfield's  lodgings,  and  in  great  agitation  said:  "O  sir,  save 
me!  I  am  in  great  trouble!  Will  you  help  me?" 

"I  will,  if  I  can,"  answered  Mr.  Redfield,  "but  tell  me 
first  what  is  the  matter." 


66  LII-K  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDKIEL.D. 

O  sir,"  said  the  stranger,  "I  am  a  slave.  A  large  re- 
ward has  been  offered  for  me;  and  I  learn  that  there  is  a  man 
in  the  city  looking  for  me  to  take  me  back  into  slavery." 

"Come  in,"  said  Mr.  Rcdfield,  "and  you  will  be  perfectly 
safe.  My  windows  are  all  shut,  fastened  and  blinded,  and  I 
will  fasten  the  door." 

"But  what  if  they  break  in?"  the  fugitive  asked. 

"I  will  do  the  best  I  can  at  all  cost  to  defend  you,"  replied 
Mr.  Rcdfield;  "sit  down  and  tell  me  your  story.  Why  did 
you  run  away?  Were  you  badly  treated?" 

"Oh,  no!"  he  answered.     "In  the  first  place,  I  belonged  to 
a  man  who  died  some  years  ago.     His  widow  married  again, 
and  before  the  legal  heirs  could  put  in  their  claim  to  their  por- 
tion of  the  estate  mv  new  master  desired  to  sell  me.     Of  all 
i* 

this  I  knew  nothing  until  one  day  while  I  was  working  in 
the  tnnyard  cleaning  out  a  vat  (I  had  been  hired  out  to  a 
tanner,  for  L  was  a  tanner  by  trade,)  shoveling  out  the  old 
bark  and  singing  a  Methodist  hymn  as  I  worked,  I  thought 
I  heard  a  voice  saying,  'You  are  sold.'  I  straightened 
up  and  looked  around,  but  saw  no  one.  I  went  on  with 
my  work  again,  still  singing  a  favorite  hymn.  The 
same  voice  came  again,  'You  are  sold.'  I  sprang  out  of  the 
vat  and  looked  for  the  author  of  the  dreadful  sound,  but 
in  vain.  I  went  to  work  again,  determined  to  banish 
my  fears.  But  the  same  voice  said  again,  'You  are  sold.' 
I  looked  again,  and  at  a  distance  I  saw  my  master 
in  company  with  a  stranger  walking  leisurely  around 
the  lanyard.  I  knew  Ihen  that  voice  was  correct.  The 
thought,  I  will  be  torn  and  forever  separated  from  my  wife 
and  child,  now  rushed  upon  me,  and  with  it  a  sense  of  the 
wrong  about  to  be  perpetrated  on  us.  I  instantly  resolved: 
«I  will  die  first.'  I  kept  an  eye  out,  and  went  on  with  my 
work.  They  gradually  drew  nearer  and  nearer  until  they 
stood  at  my  back.  As  I  lifted  a  shovelful  of  bark  one  of 
them  asked,  'Shall  I  nol  help  you  lifl  il  out?'  Instinctively 


A  FUGITIVE'S  SAD  STORY.  67 

I  knew  that  this  meant  to  tie  my  hands  while  I  was  holding 
them  up.  Blind  to  all  consequences,  and  with  the  nerve  of 
a  madman,  I  sprang  out  of  the  vat  and  raised  my  shovel  in 
self-defense.  Instantly  they  both  drew  pistols,  and  bade  me 
surrender  or  die.  I  cared  not  a  fig  for  death,  I  was  so  aroused 
by  the  sense  of  the  wrong  they  were  doing  me.  But  the 
thought  came,  *It  is  no  use  to  contend ;  they  have  the  law  on 
their  side  and  can  do  what  they  please  with  me.  I  must  sub- 
mit like  my  Saviour.  I  must  resist  not,  but  endure  for  his 
sake.'  It  was  my  conscience  and  not  my  fear  that  subdued 
me.  It  told  me  to  look  to  the  future  and  to  God  for  the 
settlement  of  my  troubles.  I  then  let  them  tie  my  hands  behind 
me  with  a  long  rope.  They  then  gave  a  loud  whistle  which 
was  answered  by  a  man  coming  to  us,  to  whom  they  gave 
me  in  charge.  He  took  hold  of  the  rope  and  commanded 
me  to  walk  on.  He  took  me  to  a  place  by  the  roadside 
where  there  were  about  fifty  more  slaves,  tied  together,  pre- 
paratory to  being  taken  down  the  river  to  be  sold  again. 
When  we  had  got  away  from  the  two  men  I  asked  the  one 
who  had  me  in  charge  to  let  me  go  and  see  my  wife  and 
child  before  I  was  separated  from  them  forever. 

"'No,'  said  he,  with  a  terrible  oath,  'you  shall  not.  Your 

wife  would  make  a fuss,  and  you  will  feel  a  great  deal 

worse.  You  had  better  make  up  your  mind  never  to  see 
them  again.' 

"Oh,  I  was  so  heavy  with  grief  that  my  feet  seemed  to 
slump  into  the  ground  at  every  step.  Suddenly,  with  all 
my  might  I  gave  a  wrench  to  the  rope,  and  so  loosed  my 
hands,  and,  being  much  stronger  than  he,  I  pulled  him  right 
up  to  me,  and  then  said,  'I  shall  go  and  see  my  family  be- 
fore we  are  parted  forever.'  When  he  saw  I  had  him  in  my 
power,  with  another  oath,  he  said,  'Well,  you  may  go,  but  it 
will  be  the  worse  for  you.' " 

While  thus  narrating  his  story,  this  noble  specimen  of 
man  would  falter,  choke,  and  struggle  with  the  grief  which 


68  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RHDHEI.D. 

was  yet  rending  his  heart.  Then  again  he  would  nerve  him- 
self to  continue  the  narration. 

"Finally,"  said  he,  "we  reached  the  cabin  of  my  family, 
and  as  soon  as  my  wife  saw  me,  with  a  shriek  she  fell  upon 
the  floor,  and  my  poor  heart  seemed  to  break  worse  than 
before.  As  I  was  compelled  to  hasten,  I  picked  up  a  few 
articles  of  clothing,  tied  them  up  in  a  bundle,  and  kissed  my 
wife  and  boy  for  the  last  time.  Oh!  how  my  brain  reeled 
as  I  turned  to  leave  them,  forever.  I  felt  that  sense  of  my 
feet  sinking  into  the  earth  again,  at  every  step,  as  I  walked 
away.  I  was  now  hurried  back  to  the  coffle  of  slaves,  and 
was  soon  bound  by  one  of  my  wrists  to  the  chain,  which 
ran  the  whole  length  of  the  gang.  The  driver  being  in  a 
hurry  urged  us  on,  to  the  top  of  our  speed.  My  rough  old 
shoes  that  I  wore  in  the  tannery  soon  so  galled  my  feet  that 
the  blood  ran  out  at  every  step.  We  reached  the  river  that 
night  and  were  taken  into  a  tavern  at  the  landing.  We  were 
all  put  up  in  the  garret,  which  was  made  like  a  jail,  with 
grated  windows,  for  the  accommodation  of  slave-traders. 

"  Soon  the  whole  gang  were  asleep.  Some  cried  them- 
selves to  sleep,  some  were  sullen  and  apparently  careless  as 
to  what  became  of  them,  for  the  last  tie  had  been  broken 
and  the  last  hope  had  fled.  Others  were  so  gross  and  stupid 
that  they  fell  asleep  from  want  of  energy  and  life  to  keep 
them  awake;  like  beasts  when  out  of  reach  of  the  hish,  they 
were  at  rest.  It  was  raining  hard  without,  and  the  patter 
upon  the  roof  and  the  splashing  upon  the  ground,  made  it 
difficult  to  hear  other  sounds.  When  I  thought  all  were  sound 
asleep,  I  walked  carefully  around  the  room.  I  put  my  hand 
upon  a  rope,  which  I  found  to  be  a  clothes-line,  for  the  family 
used  the  garret  to  dry  clothes  in  when  not  in  other  use.  I 
went  to  a  window,  and  with  an  old  jack-knife  which  I  had 
to  use  about  the  lanyard,  I  dug  out  of  the  wall  one  end  of 
an  iron  bar,  and  that  made  a  place  just  large  enough  for  me 
to  squeeze  through.  I  then  fastened  one  end  of  the  clothes- 


A  WONDERFUL  ESCAPE.  69 

line  to  another  bar,  threw  out  my  little  bundle  of  clothing, 
carefully  climbed  out,  and  ventured  my  weight  upon  that 
frail  rope.  I  heard  one  of  the  strands  break,  and  expected 
to  fall  to  the  ground  the  next  moment;  but  it  held  me  until 
I  reached  the  end.  I  had  not  reached  the  ground  by  a  num- 
ber of  feet,  when,  as  I  hung  there,  I  saw  a  door  open  and 
some  one  passing  in.  For  a  moment  all  my  fears  were 
aroused,  thinking  I  was  discovered.  But  they  did  not  see 
me  in  the  darkness,  and  I  only  saw  them  by  the  light  of  the 
open  door.  The  rain  was  still  pouring  down.  I  now  let  go 
my  hold  and  dropped  to  the  ground.  I  carefully  felt  around 
until  I  found  my  bundle,  and  then  made  my  way  to  a  stream 
of  water  near  by,  and  waded  it  a  long  distance,  that  the 
hounds  might  be  unable  to  follow  me.  The  stream  led  me 
in  the  direction  from  whence  I  came.  I  followed  it  until 
about  daybreak,  and  then  hid  in  the  woods  until  night,  when 
I  started  again  for  home.  The  succeeding  morning  I  came 
in  sight  of  my  little  home  again.  From  fear  of  frightening 
my  dear  wife,  and  arousing  some  slaves  who  slept  in  part  of 
the  cabin,  1  went  cautiously  to  a  little  window,  and  in  a  low 
tone  of  voice,  called: 

"'Liza!' 

"  With  a  scream  she  cried  out,  'O  my  God !  that's  my 
Thomas!  O  Thomas!  Thomas!  the  patrol  will  kill  you!' 

"  I  said,  'Hush!  Liza,  keep  still,  and  we  will  manage 
some  way.' 

"  I  went  into  the  cabin  and  climbed  up  into  the  little  gar- 
ret through  a  hole  over  a  door  between  the  two  rooms. 
My  wife  put  up  a  box  on  to  the  door  casing  to  hide  a  part  of 
the  hole  through  which  I  had  passed.  When  it  was  fairly 
daylight,  the  patrol,  who  had  heard  of  my  escape,  came  to 
the  cabin  and  asked  Liza  if  I  had  got  back.  She  answered, 
'No!  I  have  not  seen  him  since  he  left  with  the  slave- 
trader.'  This  was  literally  true,  for  it  was  dark  when  I 
came. 


70  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

44  The  patrol  kept  such  a  close  watch  that  I  dared  not  go 
out  anywhere.  So  I  concluded  to  change  my  place  of  con- 
cealment, and  started  in  the  night  for  my  mother's,  some  four 
miles  away,  where  she  was  owned.  Lest  I  should  startle 
her,  I  went  to  her  window,  and  in  a  low  voice,  asked, 4  Aunt, 
is  uncle  at  home?'  She  knew  .my  voice,  and  knew  I  had 
run  away,  and  that  the  patrol  was  after  me.  She  cried  out, 
'Oh!  it  is  my  poor  boy,  Tommy!  O  Tommy!  Tommy! 
the  patrol  will  kill  you!'  She  let  me  into  the  cabin,  and  we 
took  up  a  board  of  the  floor,  and  I  laid  down  on  the  ground, 
and  she  put  the  board  back  again.  Here  I  could  stay  until 
the  patrol  would  pass  on  to  the  next  beat,  and  then  I  would 
come  out  and  stretch  myself. 

44  My  wife's  and  mother's  cabins  were  watched  closely. 
I  changed  my  hiding  place  from  under  the  floor  to  the  garret, 
which  was  reached  by  a  ladder.  As  my  mother  could  have 
my  boy  with  her  without  suspicion,  I  had  the  mournful  con- 
solation of  caressing  him  often. 

44 1  resolved  at  last  that  I  would  come  North  as  soon  as  I 
could  with  safety;  but  so  closely  was  I  watched,  that  I  was 
compelled  to  hide  under  the  floor  and  in  the  garret,  at 
mother's,  for  thirteen  months.  By  this  time  I  was  so  com- 
pletely bleached  out,  and  my  skin  was  so  fair,  that  after 
mother  got  me  some  women's  clothes,  I  was  able  boldly  to 
take  the  stage  as  a  white  woman  and  make  my  escape  with- 
out detection.  When  I  had  reached  a  section  where  I  was 
not  known,  I  got  out  and  went  into  the  woods  and  put  on 
my  men's  clothing.  I  then  traveled  nights  and  slept  day- 
times until  I  reached  a  free  state.  I  lived  on  corn,  fruits  and 
such  other  things  as  I  could  help  myself  to.  After  a  long 
time  I  found  myself  in  this  state. 

"I  now  felt  so  badly  about  my  wife  and  child  that  at  last  I 
ventured  to  get  a  white  man  to  write  to  my  master  for  me, 
that  if  he  would  allow  me  to  live  with  my  family  I  would  go 
back  and  give  him  my  labors  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  He 


HIDING  FROM  THE  PATROL.  71 

wrote  me  in  reply  that  he  would  have  me  any  way  and  he 
would  do  as  he  pleased.  When  this  hope  failed  I  resolved 
to  go  myself  and  by  some  means  bring  my  wife  and  child 
away.  So  I  turned  my  face  toward  the  land  of  bondage 
again.  I  traveled  nights  and  slept  daytimes  in  the  woods, 
until  I  came  in  sight  once  more  of  my  little  cabin.  When  I 
got  inside  I  found  my  little  one  was  dead  and  buried.  My 
heart  was  nearly  broken  again.  With  my  wife  I  started 
again  for  the  land  of  freedom.  We  passed  the  patrol  and 
entered  the  woods.  It  was  night;  but  my  poor  wife  had  be- 
come so  nervous  and  broken  by  the  long  struggle  with  her 
wrongs  that  the  least  unusual  sound  or  the  breaking  of  a 
twig  would  cause  her  to  cry  out,  'The  patrol  is  coming!  the 
patrol  is  coming!'  I  carried  her  in  my  arms  until  I  saw  I 
must  give  up  the  effort,  as  her  fears  would  be  our  betrayal,  and 
we  should  both  be  taken  back  to  bondage.  I  was  obliged  to 
let  her  return,  while  I  turned  my  steps  toward  the  North 
again.  And  now  they  have  got  track  of  me,  and  are  in  the 
city  after  me." 

Mr.  Redfield  had  the  privilege  of  learning  that  this  suf- 
fering man  landed  safely  in  Canada,  where  colored  people 
had  equal  rights  with  white  people.  He  knew  he  was  making 
himself  liable  to  church  proscription  by  aiding  such  suffering 
followers  of  Jesus,  but  he  told  the  authorities  that  he  should 
stand  for  God  and  humanity.  The  laws  of  the  state  would 
have  sent  him  to  the  state's  prison  for  ten  years,  and  made 
him  pay  a  fine  of  five  hundred  dollars  for  sheltering  and  aid- 
ing that  poor  man  if  his  offense  had  been  known ;  but  to  use 
his  own  words,  "What  had  I  to  do  with  protecting  my  own 
freedom  and  rights  when  there  stood  my  suffering  Jesus  in 
the  person  of  this  poor  outcast.  I  seemed  to  hear  his  voice 
ringing  in  my  ears,  'Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these  my  brethren  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.'  Yes> 
and  I  would  have  done  it  again  if  I  had  known  that  I  cer- 


72  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

tainly  would  have  had  to  suffer  both  the  imprisonment  and 
the  fine." 

Mr.  Redfield  lived  during  the  period  of  the  great  anti- 
slavery  conflict  in  this  country.  All  the  different  phases  of 
it  passed  before  him.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  he  was  a  member,  and  within  whose  pale  he  performed 
nearly  all  his  ministerial  labor,  and  which  he  loved  as  he 
loved  his  life,  he  saw  hesitate  and  cringe  before  the  slave 
power,  and  at  last  become  an  agent  of  persecution  against 
such  as  could  not  refrain  from  lifting  up  their  voices  against 
the  gigantic  wrong.  His  sensitive  soul  listened  with  horror 
to  the  accounts  of  proscription  against  such  men  as  Orange 
Scott,  Cyrus  Prindle,  Luther  Lee  and  others  of  its  most  de- 
voted ministers.  He  lived  to  see  a  combination  formed  in 
the  General  conference  of  that  body,  in  1860,*  that  prevented 
the  redressing  of  the  grievances  that  resulted  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  and  that  also  prevented 
the  change  of  the  -general  rule  on  slavery  until  1864,  when 
there  were  no  more  slaves  within  the  bounds  of  the  United 
States. 

He  did  not  live  to  see  that  change  of  the  rule.  If  he 
had,  the  act  coming  at  such  a  time,  would  have  appeared  so 
ungracious  to  him  that  it  could  have  afforded  him  no  pleasure. 
If  he  had  lived  several  quadrennials  longer,  he  might  have 
been  gratified  by  witnessing  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  by 
the  General  conference  of  that  body,  removing  a  censure 
passed  upon  Orange  Scott,  by  the  General  conference  of  1836, 
for  taking  part  in  an  anti-slavery  meeting  in  the  city  of  Cin- 
cinnati, during  the  session  of  that  conference.  Orange  Scott 
had  passed  into  the  eternal  world,  however,  long  before  this 
relief  to  his  memory. 

It  is  hardly  possible  for  the  present  generation,  though 
little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  since  passed  by, 
to  conceive  of  a  state  of  society  in  this  country  such  as  has 

•Rev.  William  Hoemer,  in  the  "No*hern  Independent,"  editorial. 


THE  PICTURE  NOT  OVERDRAWN.  73 

• 

been  illustrated  in  this  chapter;  but  many  there  are  who  have 
outlived  the  generation  in  which  these  cruelties  were  perpe- 
trated, and  who,  vividly  recalling  those  exciting  times,  will 
testify  that  the  picture  is  in  no  wise  overdrawn. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MR.  RKDFIELD  had  now  passed  one  winter  in  active  serv- 
ice for  God  and  humanity.  Many  had  been  converted,  an 
efficient  anti-slavery  society  had  been  organized,  and  nearly 
fifty  fugitives  from  bondage  had  been  assisted  in  their  efforts 
to  reach  Canada.  He  now  determined  to  return  to  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y.,  the  scene  of  some  of  his  severest  conflicts,  and 
where  he  consented  to  accept  a  license  to  preach  the  gospel. 
On  his  return,  he  was  urged  to  take  the  place  of  a  preacher 
who  had  made  himself  unacceptable  by  his  anti-slavery  views. 
He  accepted  the  position,  but  soon  was  equally  as  unaccep- 
table as  his  predecessor,  and  for  the  same  reason.  He  gave 
up  the  charge  and  returned  to  his  bachelor's  quarters.  He 
now  despaired  of  doing  his  duty  acceptably  to  God,  and 
satisfactorily  to  himself.  The  summer  was  spent  in  study- 
ing- into  the  works  and  ways  of  God  as  seen  in  nature.  He 
gave  up  the  idea  of  going  into  the  work  as  a  traveling 
preacher.  He  thought  to  content  himself  with  preaching 
occasionally,  but  giving  his  time  mainly  to  business.  When 
he  did  preach  he  refused  to  receive  pay  for  his  services  The 
hand  of  disease  had  fastened  upon  him,  but  still  he  endeavored 
to  keep  his  conscience  free  from  condemnation,  by  visiting 
and  praying  with  the  people,  and  exhorting  sinners  to  seek 
Christ.  In  this  he  saw  some  success,  but  so  little  was  he 
satisfied  with  his  labors,  that  he  was  in  great  distress  of  mind. 

He  was  under  conviction  for  and  began  to  seek  the  ex- 
perience of  entire  sanctification. 

He  says:  "I  thought  that  experience  would  empower 
me  to  do  my  duties  with  greater  success  and  satisfaction. ,  In 
my  ignorance  of  the  true  way,  I  wept  and  mourned  before 
God,  and  wished  to  meet  with  some  one  who  could  instruct 
me.  I  finally  became  desperate,  and  resolved  to  make  a  busi- 
ness of  seeking  it.  I  began  with  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 
This  was  followed  with  a  watch-night.  I  resolved  never  to 

(74) 


SEEKING  ENTIRE  SATISFACTION.  75 

close  my  eyes  or  leave  my  knees  until  I  could  claim  the  bless- 
ing ;  but  nature  sank  under  the  burden,  and  I  fell  to  the  floor 
and  went  to  sleep.  When  morning  came,  I  awoke  to  find 
myself  exhausted  and  on  the  floor.  When  I  remembered 
the  vows  and  resolutions  I  had  made  the  night  before,  and 
how  poorly  I  had  kept  my  promise,  I  blamed  myself  for 
faithlessness,  and  in  tears  asked  God  if  I  must  live  another 
day  in  this  condition.  Can  I  be  no  more  like  thee  than  this? 
I  could  say  from  the  depths  of  my  heart: 

'"'Tis  worse  than  death  my  God  to  love, 
And  not  my  God  alone.' 

"  Again  I  fasted  and  kept  watch-night.  I  resolved  not 
to  move  until  I  either  died  or  gained  the  great  pearl;  but 
being  still  more  exhausted,  I  again  sank  to  the  floor  and  went 
to  sleep,  and  awoke  the  next  morning  to  upbraid  myself  for 
my  broken  vows.  All  these  struggles  only  proved  to  me 
how  useless  were  human  plans  and  will-power  to  gain  what 
I  afterward  learned  must  be  obtained  by  faith  alone.  By 
the  Holy  Spirit  I  was  led  to  make  a  thorough  search  of  self 
and  find  to  what  extent  my  will  was  in  harmony  with  God's 
will.  Now  my  mind  was  brought  to  face  the  great  ques- 
tion with  me.  I  said  to  myself,  how  can  I  think  of  preach- 
ing after  my  troubles  with  that  unfortunate  being  who  has 
blasted  every  hope  of  my  life!  I  cannot  attempt  to  regulate 
public  opinion  by  a  narration  of  my  sorrows!  I  shall  be 
misunderstood,  and  my  misfortune  will  be  the  foundation  of 
a  large  amount  of  slander,  which  will  hedge  up  my  way. 
'No,  Lord,'  I  said,  'I  cannot  go.  I  might  once  have  gone 
without  impediment,  but  that  day  has  passed  forever.  I  will 
do  the  best  I  can  in  a  private  way,  but  to  devote  myself  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry  is  impossible  until  I  have  an  honor- 
able discharge  from  the  woman  who  has  embittered  my  life.' 

"I  now  resolved  to  spend  my  time  in  active  service  for 
the  Lord,  but  in  a  private  way.  I  commenced  visiting  the 
sick,  praying  with  them,  and  pointing  them  to  the  Lamb  of 


76  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

God.  I  went  to  see  a  young  man  who  was  very  sick,  and 
who  had  been  given  up  by  the  counseling  physicians,  who 
had  just  left  him.  While  at  prayer  for  him  an  impression 
came  upon  me  that  the  young  man  would  not  die,  and  I  in- 
stantly gave  utterance  to  it.  I  then  arose,  and  taking  him  by 
the  hand,  said  to  him,  'You  will  not  die.  Now  give  your 
heart  to  God  and  live  for  him.'  This  he  promised  to  do,  and 
I  left  the  house.  Two  or  three  brethren  who  were  present 
and  heard  me  make  this  declaration  were  distressed  at  it,  for 
fear  of  the  consequences  in  case  it  should  not  prove  true.  I 
felt  the  same,  nor  was  I  relieved  until  a  short  time  after  when 
I  saw  the  young  man  walking  the  street  in  comparatively 
good  health. 

"Soon  after  this  I  was  asked  to  visit  another  man  who 
had  been  given  up  to  die  by  his  physician,  who  said  he  could 
not  live  through  the  night.  The  man  insisted  that  I  should 
be  called,  and  declared  he  would  take  no  medicine  from  any 
hand  but  mine,  or  by  my  direction.  He  had  heard  of  the 
case  just  narrated,  and  as  soon  as  I  approached  his  bed  he 
said  to  me,  *  Don't  pray  for  me  to  get  well,  I  prefer  to  die.' 
But  the  impression  came  to  me,  and  I  said  to  him,  'I  can 
pray  in  no  other  way,  for  you  will  certainly  get  well.'  The 
sequel  justified  this  prediction,  for  he  did  get  well. 

"  I  was  called  upon  by  a  class-leader  to  visit  a  member  of 
his  class,  then  apparently  dying  with  the  consumption.  It 
was  a  cold  night  in  March.  We  found  the  windows  and 
doors  open  to  give  her  air.  The  physician  had  just  left,  after 
declaring  that  she  was  dying.  While  I  was  praying  with 
her,  as  in  the  other  cases,  the  impression  came  that  she  would 
recover.  It  came  this  time  in  such  power  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  I  could  repress  the  utterance  of  it.  On  leaving 
the  house  I  said  to  the  leader  what  I  thought.  To  this  he 
answered,  *  It  is  a  good  thing  you  did  not  say  so,  for  she  is 
certainly  dying.  If  you  had  said  what  you  felt,  the  cause  of 
religion  would  have  been  greatly  injured.'  To  the  astonish- 


INSTANCES  AND  IMPRESSIONS.  77 

ment  of  all  she  was  able  to  walk  the  streets  in  a  very  few 
weeks,  and  lived  for  a  long  time  after. 

"Another  instance,  but  with  a  different  result,  occurred 
soon  after.  One  of  the  class-leaders  was  taken  sick,  and  to 
all  appearance  the  sickness  was  unto  death;  but  the  sugges- 
tion came  to  me  with  great  power  that  the  prayer  of  faith 
would  save  the  sick.  The  leader  was  a  man  of  great  value 
to  the  church,  and  I  felt  that  he  could  not  be  spared.  I  shut 
myself  up  in  my  room,  determined  if  possible  to  prevail  with 
God  to  raise  him  up  to  health.  I  continued  in  prayer  until 
the  same  impression  came  with  a  slight  shade  of  difference, 
that  the  leader  would  live,  and  not  die.  But  that  slight  dif- 
ference in  the  impression  made  me  hesitate  to  declare  that 
the  sick  man  would  recover.  Soon  after  the  man  died." 

These  instances  made  a  profound  impression  upon  Mr. 
Redfield,  and  led  him  to  do  some  very  careful  thinking  upon 
the  general  subject.  He  says,  "  I  then  saw  that  none  of  these 
cases  were  restored  by  faith.  In  the  first  three  the  result  was 
intuitively  perceived  as  a  coming  fact.  In  the  last  the  im- 
pression was  on  the  imagination,  prompted  by  strong  desire. 
This  experience  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  me  since  then, 
as  a  guage  by  which  to  test  the  strong  impressions,  and  to 
distinguish  between  faith,  fancy,  and  intuition." 

It  is  difficult  to  account  for  these  peculiar  manifestations 
and  successes  upon  any  other  ground  than  that  the  Lord  was 
preparing  him  for  future  usefulness  by  the  study  which  these 
facts  induced.  He  was  still  bent  on  compromising  the  mat- 
ter of  his  call  if  he  could.  He  resolved  to  pay  the  preachers 
more;  he  denied  himself  all  luxuries  of  the  table,  and  lived 
for  a  season  on  roast  potatoes  cooked  by  his  own  hand  that 
he  might  give  more. 

In  the  midst  of  this  two  young  men  came  to  his  apart- 
ments, and  the  three  bound  themselves  together  to  pray  for 
a  revival  of  religion.  One  night  when  they  were  engaged 
in  prayer  the  village  band  met  in  the  adjoining  room  for 


78  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

practice.  They  each  prayed  that  the  music  might  be  stopped, 
and  held  on  until  each  felt  that  he  had  received  an  answer. 
Soon  the  music  stopped,  and  they  heard  the  members  of  the 
band  pass  down  the  stairs  from  the  room.  This  encouraged 
them  to  ask  for  greater  things.  They  held  on  until  they 
each  received  an  answer  that  God  would  revive  his  work  in 
the  place.  The  next  day  they  learned  that  several  members 
of  the  band  were  awakened  the  evening  before  and  had  been 
inquiring  the  way  of  salvation.  Soon  after  the  minister 
commenced  a  protracted  meeting,  and  before  it  closed  about 
two  hundred  professed  conversion.  Mr.  Redfield  now  had 
his  hands  and  heart  full,  in  laboring  in  prayer  meetings,  and 
in  personal  effort  with  souls.  He  tried  to  think  that  he  would 
not  have  to  preach  if  he  proved  faithful  in  this  manner. 

He  became  much  concerned  for  the  gentleman  with 
whom  he  boarded  before  he  went  into  bachelor's  hall.  He 
was  an  infidel  Sabbath  breaker.  Mr.  Redfield  had  often  rec- 
ommended religion  to  him  in  a  general  way,  but  now  he 
felt  that  he  had  not  been  sufficiently  in  earnest  about  it. 
He  resolved  to  do  his  whole  duty  at  all  hazards.  The 
man  came  into  Mr.  Redfield's  room  one  day,  and  he  took 
him  by  the  hand  and  said,  "I  have  tried  to  recommend 
religion  to  you  by  my  life  and  gentleness,  but  I  see  and 
feel  I  have  never  done  my  duty  to  you  as  I  ought,  and  now 
I  will  never  let  go  of  your  hand,  nor  let  you  go,  until  you 
cither  repulse  me  or  give  your  heart  to  God."  With  deep 
emotion  he  said,  "The  last  obstacle  is  now  removed.  I  was 
a  disbeliever  in  religion  until  I  became  acquainted  with  you. 
1  have  watched  you,  and  could  find  but  one  fault  in  you,  and 
that  was,  if  you  really  felt  friendly  to  me  as  you  seemed  to,  I 
could  not  see  how  you  could  believe  my  soul  in  danger  and 
not  compel  me  to  seek  religion.  But  this  removes  that  ob- 
stacle. Now,"  said  he,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "take  me  to  some 
of  your  prayer  meetings." 

"There  was  another  gentleman,"  says  Mr.  Redfield,  "an 


PERSONAL  WORK  WITH  FRIENDS.  79 

acquaintance  and  friend,  whom  I  had  often  tried  to  lead  to 
Christ,  but  who,  with  his  wife,  still  remained  impenitent,  and 
whom  I  now  resolved  to  visit  and  talk  and  pray  with.  I 
sent  word  to  them  that  I  would  come  at  a  certain  time,  and 
that  my  object  was  to  talk  with  them  on  the  subject  of  their 
soul's  salvation.  When  the  time  arrived  I  went  to  their 
home  and  found  it  closed  against  me.  To  all  appearances 
they  were  not  at  home.  Again  I  appointed  a  time,  and 
and  again  I  found  the  house  shut  against  me.  After  this 
the  gentleman  came  to  my  apartments  one  day,  and  I  stepped 
to  the  door  and  locked  it,  and  said,  'I  will  never  let  you  leave 
this  room  until  you  promise  to  seek  salvation,  or  utterly  re- 
fuse me.'  To  this  he  answered,  'I  appreciate  your  motives, 
but  if  it  has  come  to  this  I  must  tell  you  distinctly,  I  shall 
not  make  you  any.  such  promise.'  'Very  well,  Lyman,  an 
impression  comes  to  me  that  God  will  now  visit  you  with 
judgments.'  Shortly  after  this  I  was  called  to  go  to  his 
house  to  see  his  dying  wife.  The  violence  of  her  disease 
ended  in  mortification  while  she  was  yet  living,  and  had  now 
reached  its  crisis.  When  I  reached  the  house  groups  of 
neighbors  were  standing  here  and  there  talking  in  low  tones, 
and  whose  manner  indicated  that  the  subject  was  more  than 
ordinarily  distressing.  I  passed  them,  approached  the  door, 
opened  it,  and  in  the  first  room  sat  others  in  melancholy 
mood.  They  were  talking  in  the  same  manner  as  those  out- 
side. Now  and  then  a  cry  of  agony  came  through  the  closed 
doors  of  the  sufferer's  room.  The  door  opened,  and  the 
eyes  of  the  dying  woman  met  mine.  Hers  flashed  with  a 
gleam  never  to  be  forgotten. 

"She  cried  out,  'Oh!  why  did  you  not  come  before?' 

"I  drew   near  -her  and    replied, 'I  have  tried,  but   you 
closed  your  door  against  me.' 

" '  Well,  then  pray  for  me  now,'  she  said. 

"  I  knelt  and  tried  to  pray,  but  it  was  in  vain ;  I  could 
not  get  hold.     She  called  upon  her  attendants  to  remove  her 


8o  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

to  another  room.  This  was  done  by  moving  the  cot  on 
which  she  lay.  When  they  set  her  down  she  raised  her 
mortifying  arms  toward  heaven  and  uttered  the  mournful 
cry,  'O  God!  for  a  few  hours  to  get  ready  for  this  awful 
change.'  Her  arms  fell  and  she  ceased  to  breathe.  I  then 
approached  her  distracted  husband,  and  asked,  *  Lyman,  will 
you  now  yield  to  God?' 

"He  answered,  'I  cannot  now  as  well  as  I  could  before.' 

"I  replied,  'Then  God  will  come  again.' 

"  In  a  very  few  days  one  of  his  children  was  called  to  pass 
away  suddenly.  I  was  called  again  to  visit  the  house  of 
mourning.  The  father  was  convulsed  with  grief.  On  be- 
ing approached  and  asked, 'Has  God  done  enough?  Will 
you  now  yield  ? '  he  answered  as  before.  I  then  said,  '  Well, 
God  will  come  once  more.' 

"In  a  few  days  I  was  called  to  visit  Lyman  himself.  He 
appeared  to  be  rapidly  passing  into  eternity.  He  now  seemed 
to  have  given  up  the  controversy  and  professed  to  have 
yielded  his  heart  to  God.  Still  a  doubt  hung  over  the  case 
that  eternity  alone  can  clear  up." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MR.  REDFIELD  was  now  conscious  that  disease  had  fast- 
ened its  grasp  upon  his  own  frame.  To  all  appearances  he 
was  rapidly  sinking  under  that  fell  disease,  consumption.  All 
remedies  seemed  to  fail.  He  had  but  one  hope  left,  and  that 
was  to  escape  the  rigors  of  winter  by  going  to  one  of  the 
Southern  states.  A  few  remedies  that  he  still  thought  of  using 
were  packed  with  his  clothing  and  books,  and  with  a  limited 
purse,  he  started  for  New  York  city  to  take  a  steamer  for  the 
South.  On  arriving  at  the  city,  and  while  waiting  for  the  day  of 
the  steamer's  departure,  he  met  an  old  friend,  who  insisted  upon 
his  stopping  with  him  during  the  winter.  It  was  urged  that 
there  would  be  sudden  changes  of  weather  in  the  South  that 
would  seriously  affect  him;  that  he  might  have  a  room  at  the 
home  of  this  friend,  where  he  could  regulate  the  temperature 
as  he  pleased,  and  he  need  not  go  out  until  spring.  He 
finally  accepted  the  kind  offer,  and  soon  went  into  most  favor- 
able winter  quarters. 

Here  he  wasted  fast  with  hectic  and  cough.  He  was  soon 
so  weak  and  emaciated,  that  he  was  obliged  to  lie  upon  the 
bed  most  of  the  time.  His  room  was  opposite  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  with  a  public  cemetery  and  vault  in  the 
rear.  Every  day,  and  sometimes  twice  and  thrice  a  day, 
funeral  processions  would  pass  in  and  leave  the  bodies  of  de- 
parted ones.  In  his  morbid  state  of  feeling  these  scenes  had 
a  strange  fascination  for  him,  and  he  would  gaze  upon  them 
and  think,  "  Thus  it  will  be  soon  with  me." 

On  bright  and  pleasant  Sunday  mornings  he  would  wrap 
himself  and  cross  over  to  the  church  and  listen  to  the  ser- 
mon. He  did  not  give  in  his  church  letter,  for  that  stated 
that  he  was  a  local  preacher,  and  he  might  be  called  upon  to 
preach.  His  disease  gained  rapidly  and  soon  it  was  doubtful 
whether  he  would  live  to  see  the  coming  summer.  His  mar- 

181) 


82  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

vclous  imagination  would  picture  to  him  scenes  of  decay,  as 
he  looked  upon  his  colorless  and  emaciated  hands  and  his 
conscience  goaded  and  upbraided  him  because  of  neglected 
duty.  lie  often  would  ask  himself,  "What  can  I  do  to  soften 
this  terrible  punishment,  or  to  appease  this  God  who  has 
borne  with  me  so  long?"  His  room  often  resounded  with 
his  sobs  and  crying.  He  appeared  to  himself  to  be  too  far 
gone  with  disease  to  be  ever  able  to  perform  the  duty  that  lay 
so  heavily  upon  him;  yet  to  die,  he  felt  he  could  not,  he  dare 
not.  These  struggles  of  mind  would  bring  on  prof  use  sweat- 
ing, and  that  would  be  followed  with  chills,  and  all  seemed 
to  aggravate  and  hasten  the  work  of  disease.  Yet  he  was 
powerless  to  shake  off  these  thoughts  and  feelings. 

One  day  his  mind  recurred  to  the  fact  that  four  times  he 
had  been  raised  from  the  borders  of  the  grave,  as  he  thought, 
that  he  might  preach  the  gospel,  and  weak  as  he  was,  he  im- 
mediately knelt  and  pleaded  with  God  for  his  life.  Days  went 
by  in  which  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  this  manner,  but 
all  seemed  in  vain.  At  last,  despairing  of  help  in  any  other 
way,  he  vowed  again  to  do  the  work  God  had  called  him  to 
do.  He  spent  the  most  of  one  night  in  prayer,  weeping, 
promising  and  pleading.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 
the  answer  came,  clear  and  distinct,  "You  may  live  while  you 
preach,  but  no  longer." 

From  that  hour,  as  we  shall  see,  that  declaration  was  the 
inspiration  of  his  life.  Many  times,  when  heart  and  hope 
had  failed,  that  assurance  nerved  him  to  go  forward  in  the 
conflict.  He  says,  "This  single  sentence  has  kept  me  moving 
for  more  than  twenty  years  at  my  own  expense  to  toil  in  the 
face  of  all  opposition,  and  hold  my  tongue  and  let  God  who 
sent  me  settle  up  all  in  the  final  day  of  reckoning." 

On  the  Friday  evening  after  receiving  this  answer  to  his 
prayer,  he  was  able,  by  carefully  wrapping  himself,  to  attend 
a  love-feast  in  the  church  across  the  way.  He  went  design- 
ing to  present  his  letter.  He  had  been  seated  but  a  short 


AGAIN  FORCED  TO  PREACH.  83 

time  when  the  minister  came  and  spoke  to  him ;  and,  though 
they  were  strangers,  asked,  "Have  you  a  preacher's  license?" 

Mr.  Redfield  answered,  "I  have." 

"Well,  you  must  preach  for  me  in  this  church  next  Sun- 
day morning,"  said  the  pastor. 

"But,  sir,  you  must  excuse  me,"  rejoined  Mr.  Redfield. 

The  minister  would  not  excuse  him,  and  Mr.  Redfield 
found  himself  in  trouble  again.  All  his  old  questionings 
arose  once  more.  Some  of  his  wife's  relatives  lived  in  the 
city,  and  they  might  make  him  trouble.  Still  there  was  his 
promise  made  to  God,  and  the  answer,  "You  may  live  while 
you  preach,  but  no  longer."  At  last  he  answered,  "I  will 
try."  Yet  he  secretly  hoped  that  he  might  make  so  bad  a 
failure  of  it  that  he  would  never  be  called  upon  again.  If 
anything  could  happen  to  cause  this,  for  which  he  would  not 
be  responsible,  and  the  cause  of  God  not  be  injured  by  it,  he 
felt  he  would  be  thankful.  He  had  yet  to  learn  that  the 
callings  of  God  are  without  repentance. 

Saturday  morning  came,  and  with  it  the  thought  that  he 
must  try  and  preach  on  the  morrow.  He  was  in  a  tremor 
accompanied  by  alternate  sweats  and  chills  all  day.  He 
begged  of  God  to  be  released.  Thus  the  day  was  passed. 
The  night  came  on,  with  no  alleviation  to  his  feelings.  In 
speaking  of  it,  he  says,  "  I  have  often  thought  I  could  ap- 
preciate the  feelings  of  a  man  about  to  be  executed;  how  the 
very  hours  were  given  tongues  to  distress  his  spirit  with 
their  suggestions.  I  went  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep.  Occa- 
sionally I  would  begin  to  lose  rmyself,  when  it  would  seem 
to  be  screamed  in  my  ear,  'Preach  to-morrow,'  and  I  would 
spring  up  in  the  bed,  and  the  cold  sweat  would  start  all  over 
me.  Thus  the  long  night  passed  by." 

Daylight  brought  him  no  relief.  Sunrise  succeeded  the 
dawn,  and  in  due  time  the  church  bells  began  to  ring.  He 
looked  out  upon  the  street  and  saw  the  people  gathering  in 
large  numbers  to  the  church.  All  seemed  to  conspire  to 


84  LIFE  QF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

make  him  as  miserable  as  possible.  The  moment  came  for 
him  to  walk  over  to  the  church.  He  started,  but  with  his 
heart  crying  out,  "  I  cannot."  Again  the  Voice  said,  "Live 
while  you  preach."  He  reached  the  pulpit,  in  great  distrac- 
tion of  mind,  and  made  some  mortifying  blunders.  He 
arose  to  give  out  a  hymn,  but  was  too  weak  to  hold  up  the 
book.  He  clung  to  the  desk  to  keep  from  falling,  and  had 
to  sit  while  the  congregation  sang.  The  prayer  over,  the 
lesson  read,  and  another  hymn  sung,  he  arose  to  announce 
his  text.  An  unearthly  power  seemed  to  sustain  him;  he 
had  volume  of  voice,  readiness  of  thought,  and  freedom  of 
utterance.  He  concluded,  but  was  ashamed  of  himself  and 
his  effort,  and  thought,  "This  will  put  an  end  to  invitations 
to  preach."  To  his  surprise,  however,  the  preacher  said  to 
him,  "You  must  preach  again,"  naming  the  evening  when 
his  services  would  be  expected.  Mr.  Redfield  pleaded  to  be 
excused,  but  the  minister  was  unyielding.  Said  he,  "If  you 
refuse,  I  must  lay  my  commands  upon  you."  Had  it  not 
been  for  falling  into  the  hands  of  such  a  man,  it  is  quite 
probable  that  the  church  would  never  have  been  stirred  by 
the  mighty  eloquence  of  Dr.  Redfield. 

On  Friday  evening,  he  was  again  at  church.  The  minis- 
ter said  to  him,  "You  must  preach  Sunday  night."  Again 
his  soul  was  on  the  rack.  Saturday  night  was  spent  in  pray- 
er. If  he  must  preach,  he  must  have  a  text  and  subject. 
About  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning  the  answer  came;  but 
with  it,  another  of  his  strange  impressions.  The  substance 
of  it  was  this:  "I  will  be  with*  you  in  awful  power;  but  you 
must  open  the  service  with  the  declaration  that  this  night 
there  will  be  such  a  display  of  divine  power  as  they  have 
never  witnessed;  and  further,  that  eternity  will  reveal  the 
fact  that  the  probation  of  one  soul  in  the  congregation  ends 
this  night,  so  that  it  is  salvation  for  that  person  now  or  never." 
He  well  knew  that  no  one  who  would  be  present  could  sym- 
pathize with  him  in  making  such  a  statement;  that  it  would 


"THE  CHEAT  NIGHT."  85 

probably  shock  the  church,  and  if  it  proved  a  failure,  be  dis- 
astrous to  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  prayed  to  be  relieved 
from  such  a  duty;  and  was  instantly  thrown  into  great  dark- 
ness and  distress  of  mind.  His  text  and  subject  seemed  all 
confusion,  as  well  as  his  own  relation  to  Christ.  This  he 
could  not  endure.  He  now  pleaded  with  God  to  show  him 
what  he  would  have  him  do,  and  promised  to  yield  all  his 
objections  to  the  divine  will.  Then  the  answer  came  again 
as  before.  Again  he  shrank  from  taking  a  position  that 
seemed  so  full  of  presumption ;  but  only  to  be  instantly  over- 
whelmed in  darkness,  and  distress  of  soul.  He  finally  prom- 
ised to  obey. 

He  went  to  the  Sunday  morning  service.  The  noted  Dr. 
Luckey  preached.  When  the  congregation  rose  to  sing  the 
first  hymn,  the  thought  came  home  to  him  with  great  power, 
the  doom  of  one  soul  will  be  eternally  fixed  to-night.  Such 
was  the  intensity  of  his  feelings  he  had  to  sit  down,  and  hold 
his  hand  over  his  mouth  to  keep  from  screaming  aloud.  The 
natural  impropriety  of  making  such  a  declaration  as  he 
felt  he  must  make  to  please  God,  made  his  entire  nature 
shrink  from  the  purpose  of  doing  it.  Thus  he  alternated  be- 
tween the  resolve  to  do  so,  and  drawing  back  from  it  through 

the  entire  day.  In  the  afternoon  Dr.  P preached. 

The  work  of  the  evening  was  to  fall  upon  him.  These  great 
preachers  occupying  the  same  pulpit,  both  the  same  day,  did 
not  make  his  cross  lighter. 

At  the  appointed  hour  he  walked  over  to  the  church.  The 
house,  a  large  one,  was  densely  packed  with  people,  gallery, 
standing-room,  vestibule  and  all.  At  the  last  moment  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  venture  all,  and  leave  the  results  with 
God.  At  the  proper  time  in  a  firm,  clear  voice,  he  said,  "You 
may  prepare  for  the  greatest  display  of  God's  power  that  you 
have  ever  witnessed  in  this  church;  besides  there  is  one  soul 
here  whose  probation  ends  to-night,  forever.  With  that  soul 
it  is  salvation  this  night  or  never.  I  may  not  be  able  to  prove 
8 


86  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

this  true,  but  that  soul  will  tell  me  in  the  judgment  that  this 
Sunday  night,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1841,  was  the  last  of 
its  probation."  As  soon  as  he  had  uttered  these  words  he 
was  perfectly  relieved.  The  members  were  shocked,  and 
so  great  were  their  fears,  as  they  afterwards  confessed,  that 
they  prayed  God  to  overrule  his  presumption. 

He  then  gave  out  his  text  and  began  to  preach.  An 
awful  sense  of  the  divine  presence  pervaded  the  congrega- 
tion. To  use  his  own  words,  "An  unearthly  power  so  lifted 
me  up  that  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  feet  only  touched  the 
earth,  while  my  whole  head,  heart  and  body  were  above  the 
skies  and  in  heaven.  The  thrills  of  heavenly  power  which  I 
then  felt  I  can  never  describe.  It  was  a  power  given  me  for 
the  occasion,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  could  move  a 
nation,  or  shake  a  world." 

He  had  not  finished  his  sermon  when,  without  an 
invitation,  the  congregation  arose  and  many  flocked  to  the 
altar,  screaming  for  mercy.  When  all  the  space  around  and 
within  the  altar  was  crowded  with  seekers,  the  preacher  in 
charge  asked  all  in  the  house  who  desired  to  become  Chris- 
tians to  arise,  when  it  was  thought  that  five  hundred  more 
arose  for  prayers.  The  number  afterward  converted  justi- 
fied that  estimate.  For  many  years  that  night  was  commonly 
referred  to  as  '''-the  great  night" 

About  a  month  after  this  an  old  class-leader  asked  Mr. 
Redficld  if  he  remembered  making  the  statement  on  "the 
great  night"  that  the  probation  of  one  soul  would  end  that 
night.  On  being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  went  on 
to  say  that  a  lady  converted  that  night,  and  who  afterwards 
joined  his  class,  had  told  him  that  six  weeks  previous  she 
dreamed  three  times  during  one  night  that  in  just  six  weeks 
her  probation  would  end.  That  night  the  six  weeks  were 
ended  and  she  was  happily  converted. 

Though  this  incident  is  given  by  Mr.  Redfield  himself 
in  this  connection,  it  is  not  designed  to  teach  that  probation 


PREACHING  IN  NEW  YORK.  87 

ends  with  conversion.  He  was  the  furtherest  from  teach- 
ing any  such  doctrine,  as  his  experience  herein  would  show. 
The  account  is  related  because  of  the  remarkable  coinci- 
dence in  the  events  described. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  great  awakening  with  which  the  last  chapter  con- 
cluded continued  without  interruption  for  fourteen  months. 
Mr.  Redfield  was  invited  to  preach  in  different  churches 
in  New  York.  His  health  rapidly  improved,  and  he  consci- 
entiously used  it  for  God's  glory.  Many  remarkable  inci- 
dents occurred  during  these  labors.  Great  manifestations  of 
divine  power  often  attended  his  ministry.  Persons  under 
conviction  would  sometimes  fly  from  the  house  to  avoid 
yielding  to  Christ,  and  afterwards  be  found  lying  upon  the 
walks,  helpless.  At  first,  the  policemen  would  take  them  to 
the  station  house,  and  lay  them  side  and  side  upon  the  floor, 
and  watch  them  until  they  "came  to."  The  first  night  this 
occurred  it  created  no  little  excitement.  Quite  a  number  had 
thus  been  gathered  in,  and  a  large  crowd  stood  around  the 
door  wondering  what  it  meant.  While  they  were  gazing 
and  commenting,  and  endeavoring  to  account  for  the  strange 
phenomena,  the  head  of  one  of  the  prostrate  ones  raised,  and 
a  shout  of  "Glory  to  God!"  came  from  his  lips.  Then,  an- 
other, and  another,  and  another,  did  likewise,  until  all  of 
them  were  at  it  at  once.  The  station  was  made  to  resound 
with  unaccustomed  noise — the  praises  of  God  instead  of  curs- 
ing and  blasphemy.  When  it  was  discovered  that  such  per- 
sons were  neither  harmed  nor  harmful,  the  officers  ceased  to 
take  them  to  the  station,  but  watched  them  where  they  fell, 
until  they  "came  to"  and  were  able  to  care  for  themselves. 

Singularly,  this  timid,  shrinking  man,  who  dreaded  the 
responsibilities  of  the  Christian  ministry  so  much,  was  provi- 
dentially thrown  into  the  great  metropolis  of  the  nation  to 
commence  his  work;  where  the  people,  gathered  in  such 
masses,  made  the  responsibility  so  much  the  gi eater. 

In  the  midst  of  this  great  victory,  Mr.  Redfield  was  not 
without  temptation.  His  clear  perceptions  of  what  was  meet 

(88) 


GOADED  BY  TEMPTATION.  89 

and  right,  sharpened  by  his  struggles  with  unbelief,  the 
rough  handlings  of  providence,  and  the  rougher  handling  of 
his  fellow-men,  made  him  feel  intensely  his  weakness  and 
his  dependence  upon  God.  Above  all,  the  constant  dread  of 
his  wife  making  an  evil  use  of  the  facts  of  his  family  life, 
and  of  evil-disposed  persons  making  a  worse  use  of  what 
they  did  not  understand,  kept  him  in  the  dust  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross.  Now  and  then  he  seems  to  have  had  a  glimpse  of 
the  benefit  God  was  making  these  things  to  him,  but  gener- 
ally this  fact  was  hid  from  his  mind.  His  greatest  fear  was 
concerning  the  harm  they  might  work  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 
He  resolved  to  say  nothing  about  his  matters,  except  when 
asked,  and  then  to  be  perfectly  frank  with  all  who  sought 
for  information.  But  he  soon  learned  that  a  story  once  out 
was  likely  to  grow  into  untruthful  details.  At  last  he  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  this  was  to  be  his  "thorn",  and  his  best 
way  was  to  bear  it  in  silence  and  alone. 

He  now  instinctively  turned  toward  the  mercy-seat,  and 
asked  for  greater  grace  to  meet  his  great  responsibilities.  To 
fit  himself  especially  for  the  work  before  him,  he  once  more 
began  to  seek  the  experience  of  holiness.  The  next  chap- 
ter relates  this  experience  in  his  own  words. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MR.  REDFIELD  relates  his  experience  in  the  matter  of 
seeking  holiness  as  follows: 

"I  now  began  to  see  and  feel  my  need  of  entire  sanctifi- 
cation.  I  had  perverted  views  of  what  constituted  that  state 
of  grace,  and  of  the  way  to  seek  it,  but  I  resolved  to  set  about 
seeking  it  as  best  I  knew.  I  inquired  of  a  number  of  per- 
sons who  professed  to  know  something  of  the  experience, 
what  I  must  do  to  obtain  it.  Their  instructions  did  not  help 
me  in  the  least;  and  all  I  had  done  to  this  time  furnished  me 
with  no  evidence  that  I  had  made  any  appreciable  advance 
toward  it.  My  resolve  now  was  to  make  a  business  of  seek- 
ing it,  and  to  be  desperate  in  the  effort.  Long  before  this  I 
had  earnestly  sought  for  it,  by  fasting  and  prayer,  and  watch- 
nights,  until  I  was  utterly  exhausted  by  the  effort.  In  all 
this  I  had  failed  to  see  the  grand  end  to  be  secured,  which  is 
nothing  more  or  less  than  perfect  submission  to,  and  harmony 
with,  the  will  of  God.  I  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  great  prepara- 
tion to  receive  it  was  to  get  the  consent  and  choice  of  my 
will  that  God's  will  should  be  done,  and  whatever  else  I 
might  do  a  deficiency  in  this  would  defeat  my  effort. 

"I  had  now  fairly  entered  the  gospel  field.  My  long  neg- 
lected and  much  dreaded  duty  I  had  now  made  my  life  work. 
I  began  with  singleness  of  purpose  to  seek  this  precious 
pearl.  Yet,  fearful  that  one  so  utterly  unworthy  might  be 
denied  so  great  a  boon,  I  longed  to  lay  my  heart  open  to  some 
one  who  could  instruct  me;  not  knowing  that  this  state  can 
no  more  be  comprehended  before  its  attainment,  than  justifi- 
cation can  be  by  an  infidel.  At  last  I  heard  that  a  good  old 
gentleman  who  had  enjoyed  this  blessing  for  more  than  forty 
years  was  coming  to  make  his  annual  visit  to  his  children 
with  whom  I  was  then  boarding.  In  due  time  he  came,  and 
I  took  him  to  my  room  one  day,  closed  the  door,  and  with  a 


ENQUIRING  ABOUT  HOLINESS.  91 

sense  of  my  own  unworthiness,  I  asked  him  if  God  was  will- 
ing that  such  an  unworthy  person  as  myself  should  possess  so 
great  a  blessing  as  perfect  love.  The  enemy  was  all  this 
time  suggesting  to  me  that  he  probably  would  say,  No! 
You  are  too  young  and  presumptuous  to  think  of  that  great 
and  exalted  state  yet.  But  no,  with  deep  and  tender  emo- 
tions the  good  old  father  answered,  *  Why,  bless  your  dear 
heart;  why,  yes,  the  Lord  wants  you  to  be  holy.'  And  I 
felt  such  gratitude  towards  the  old  man,  because  he  thought 
God  was  willing  to  indulge  me  with  the  gift  of  so  great  a 
grace,  as  I  never  can  describe.  From  this  I  took  fresh  cour- 
age. I  now  asked  him,  '  Can  you  tell  me  how  I  can  get  pos- 
session of  it?'  To  this  he  replied,  'By  faith.'  But  he  might 
as  well  have  answered  in  Hebrew,  for  I  understood 
not  his  meaning.  I  dreaded  deception,  and  I  could  not  sup- 
pose it  possible  that  a  state  of  grace  that  I  had  set  so  high  an 
estimate  upon  could  be  secured  short  of  a  correspondingly 
valuable  price  or  gift,  instead  of  a  single  cheap  and  worth- 
less act  of  believing.  [So  faith  appeared  to  him  then. — 
EDITOR.]  If  he  had  told  me  to  do  some  great  thing,  or  to  be 
very  faithful,  and  expect  to  grow  up  into  it  by  a  long  and  tedi- 
ous process,  I  could  have  thought  his  instruction  more  ra- 
tional. I  remembered  the  soul-tearing  process  which  I  wit- 
nessed in  a  brother  who  was  seeking  the  blessing  at  the 
camp  meeting  where  I  was  converted,  and  I  thought  that 
must  be  the  true  way.  I  had  serious  doubts,  however,  about 
my  constitution  being  able  to  endure  the  agony  necessary  to 
obtain  the  blessing. 

''While  conversing  with  a  person  upon  the  subject  one 
day,  an  elderly  brother  standing  near,  asked,  'Why  don't 

you  go  across  the  town  to  R street,  where  they  have 

meetings  every  week  at  Dr.  Palmer's?  They  can  tell  you 
how  to  find  the  blessing.' 

"Another  elderly  brother  who  stood  by,  and  in  whose 
piety  I  had  great  confidence,  but  who,  though  he  believed  in 


93  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

that  state  of  grace  and  had  been  seeking  it  for  about  twenty- 
six  years  without  success,  now  said  to  me  aside,  'You  must 
be  very  careful  about  having  anything  to  do  with  Dr. 
Palmer's  people,  for  they  will  tell  you  to  believe  that  you 
already  have  the  blessing,  and  besides  many  people  do  not 
think  them  so  pious  as  they  pretend  to  be,  after  all  their 
sanctimonious  airs,  uniform  dress  and  great  pretensions.' 

"  From  that  moment  I  so  greatly  feared  them  that  I  would 
have  received  instruction  from  them  no  sooner  than  from  a 
Mahometan.  Indeed,  I  think  I  would  have  avoided  them  at 
all  hazard  if  about  to  meet  them  on  the  street.  I  now  re- 
membered hearing  Dr.  Fisk  answer  the  questions  of  my 
mother,  as  to  what  and  how  she  should  believe,  'Believe,' 
said  he,  'that  you  have  it,  and  you  have  it.'  I  did  not  then 
see  the  difference  between  'believing  that  you  are  receiving 
it,  and  that  will  bring  it,'  and  'believe  that  you  have  received 
it,  and  that  will  make  it  a  fact  that  you  have  received  it!' 
Both,  alike,  were  utterly  opposed  to  my  reason ;  and  I  could 
have  as  easily  endorsed  Mahomet.-mism  as  holiness  secured 
by  these  irrational  means.  I  now  began  to  think  I  could  see 
through  the  vagaries  of  these  people;  that  their  holiness 
consisted  in  giving  up  all  concern  about  the  matter,  and  then 
by  imagining  that  the  end  was  gained,  the  cessation  from 
the  struggle  would  leave  them  quiet,  and  this  quiet  they 
called  the  witness  of  holiness. 

"Of  course  I  had  abandoned  all  hope  of  attaining  the 
blessing  in  the  way  I  had  pursued  so  long  and  so  unsuccessfully. 
And  now  I  went  to  work  with  all  determination,  hoping  if 
my  body  could  endure  the  agony  through  which  I  expected 
to  pass,  I  might  by  this  desperation  gain  the  land  of  Beulah. 
Hearing  there  was  to  be  a  camp  meeting  within  the  bounds 
of  an  adjoining  conference,  I  determined  to  go,  as  a  stranger, 
and  thus  avoid  being  seen  by  any  of  the  brethren  of  the  so- 
ciety where  I  belonged.  I  knew  they  had  confidence  in  my 
piety,  but  I  was  afraid  should  they  see  me  in  great  agony 


STILL  SEEKING  HOLINESS.  93 

seeking  the  blessing  of  holiness,  they  might  not  know  what 
to  think  of  it;  and  possibly  they  might  conclude  that  I  had 
been  committing  some  grevious  sin;  and  not  being  able  to 
explain  all  to  their  satisfaction,  they  would  feel  grieved,  and 
I  thereby  would  be  the  occasion  of  great  injury  to  the  cause 
qf  Christ. 

"When  I  reached  the  campground  I  found  there  a  num- 
ber of  the  brethren  I  desired  to  avoid.  Well,  thought  I,  it 
is  my  duty  and  privilege  to  be  holy,  to  fit  me  for  the  great 
work  I  have  to  do;  so  I  shall  attend  to  that  and  leave  God  to 
take  care  of  results.  I  was  called  upon  to  preach,  but  as  I 
had  come  to  seek  the  blessing  of  holiness,  and  to  make  that 
my  business,  I  declined.  When  I  began  in  earnest  to 
rein  myself  up  to  the  work,  the  devil  became  in  earnest 
also,  and  induced  me  to  begin  to  inspect  the  external 
evidences  of  other  people's  piety.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  I  never  saw  the  corrupt  state  of  the  church  as  I  saw 
it  then.  One  person's  mode  of  dress  was  trim,  and  that  to 
me  was  evidence  of  pride ;  another's  was  careless,  and  that 
indicated  pride  of  his  fancied  humility.  I  felt  grieved  at 
these  evidences  of  spiritual  decline,  and  my  tears  flowed  in 
abundance. 

"While  walking  in  the  grove  alone,  and  grieving  thus,  I 
met  the  good  old  man  who  had  given  me  such  comfort  in 
saying  he  thought  God  was  willing  that  I  should  have  the 
blessing  of  holiness;  and  I  began  telling  him  how  I  had  come 
to  the  meeting  to  seek  it,  but  that  such  evidences  of  decline  in 
the  church  made  me  feel  so  badly  that  I  could  not  attend  to  it 
with  any  hope  of  success.  The  old  gentleman  saw  this  to  be 
a  trick  of  the  devil  to  divert  my  attention  and  efforts  from 
the  great  work,  and  with  a  few  words  he  set  me  right. 

"'I,'  said  he,  'was  once  troubled  as  you  are  now,  arid  I  got 
out  of  it  by  resolving,  if  everybody  else  goes  to  hell,  by  the 
grace  of  God  I  am  going  to  heaven.' 

"This  broke  the  spell  of  what  I  then  saw  was  one  of  the 


94  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

devil's  pious  frauds,  to  hinder  me  from  gaining  the  precious 
prize  I  was  after. 

"I  now  thought,  if  ever  I  gain  the  blessing,  I  must  call 
my  New  York  brethren  into  a  tent  to  pray  for  me,  and  thus 
risk  every  evil  coming  through  their  possible  misapprehen- 
sions of  my  moral  state.  This  I  did,  and  when  I  had  stated 
my  object  and  purpose,  I  asked  them  to  pray  for  me.  I  had 
an  idea  that  they  would  pray  for  me  with  all  their  might, 
and  possibly  create  a  wave,  so  to  speak,  on  which  my  little 
bark  could  come  to  land.  They  began  to  pray  at  random, 
for  everybody,  and  everything,  without  touching  my  case, 
just  as  people  generally  pray  when  they  don't  expect  any- 
thing. I  was  now  compelled  to  learn  that  no  delegated 
power  could  reach  my  case,  and  I  must  go  to  God  for  my- 
self. I  then,  while  still  on  my  knees,  concluded  to  do  my 
own  praying  and  struggling;  and  supposing  that  the  success- 
ful mode  of  prayer  must  be  that  which  is  characterized  by 
great  vehemence  and  will  power,  I  watched  my  opportunity 
to  break  out  in  vociferous  tones,  and  then  I  tried  it;  but  I 
could  not  have  uttered  a  loud  word  if  it  would  have  saved 
me,  for  my  lips  seemed  to  be  sealed.  This  taught  me  the 
meaning  of  the  words,  'Not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.' 

"I  then  turned  to  look  into  my  heart  to  see  what  progress 
I  was  making,  and  was  overwhelmed  to  find  nothing  but 
what  caused  loathing  and  abhorrence.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
I  had  lost  all  my  religion  in  trying  to  get  more.  The  enemy 
now  suggested,  'You  have  lost  all  in  trying  to  get  holiness; 
you  might  better  give  up  the  struggle  if  such  is  to  be  the 
success  of  your  effort,'  and  believing  this  to  be  a  fact,  I  arose 
and  left  the  tent  to  mourn  over  my  last  and  greatest  calamity. 
As  I  was  passing  along  I  met  the  good  old  man  again,  and 
while  telling  him  what  a  disaster  I  had  met  with  in  trying  to 
get  holiness,  I  asked,  'Don't  you  think  I  have  done  wrong 
in  aspiring  after  such  an  exalted  state  of  grace?  I  know  1 


ENDEAVORING  TO  ENTER  BEULAH.  95 

have  lost  all  I  had,  for  I  certainly  had   the  witness  of  the 
Spirit  when  I  left  New  York,  but  now  it  is  gone.' 

"'Why,  bless  your  dear  heart,'  said  this  good  man,  'don't 
you  know  the  Lord  is  just  emptying  you?'  Then,  in  a  few 
words  he  set  me  right  again.  I  had  supposed  holiness  to  be 
given  in  installments,  and  when  a  succession  of  blessings 
combined  had  filled  my  heart  about  so  full,  I  might  call  it 
holiness;  first,  the  pardon  of  sins,  then  the  joys  of  salvation, 
and  then  a  succession  of  indefinite  blessings,  which  in  the 
aggregate  would  make  up  the  sum  total  of  holiness.  Now 
I  learned  that  every  blessing  I  ever  had  must  be  emptied  out, 
for  God  would  not  fill  a  vessel  with  the  wine  of  Canaan 
while  it  was  half  full  of  manna.  I  had  now  passed  the  days 
for  relishing  manna,  and  my  Father  had  enough  of  the  old 
corn  and  wine  and  this  hereafter  was  to  be  my  food.  I  had 
been  seeking  the  last  installment  to  complete  the  blessing. 
"I  now  asked  him,  'What  shall  I  do?' 
"Said  he,  'You  must  believe  for  the  blessing.' 
"  I  went  out  into  the  grove  alone,  and  while  waiting  upon 
the  Lord  and  trying  to  believe,  I  thought  I  saw  Jesus  with 
my  inner  eye,  just  as  I  saw  him  at  the  time  of  my  conver- 
sion. It  was  the  appearance  of  Jesus  as  crucified.  A  voice 
seemed  to  say  to  me,  'All  you  can  do  now  is  to  believe  in 
this  crucified  man,  Jesus'  (for  the  time  his  divinity  was 
hidden  from  me).  But  the  idea  of  trusting  my  soul's  salva- 
tion on  a  dead  man,  aroused  all  my  old  infidel  notions,  and  I 
dared  not  risk  it.  That  image  appeared  as  distinctly  as  that 
of  a  person  to  my  outward  eye.  He  seemed  to  be  in  the 
twilight,  and  but  a  few  rods  distant  from  me.  The  camp 
meeting  came  to  a  close,  and  I  went  away  without  the  great 
blessing. 

"So  away  I  went  to  another  camp  meeting  which  was  to 
be  held  the  next  week.  There  again  I  stirred  up  myself  to 
a  desperate  effort  to  seek  for  holiness,  but  with  no  apprecia- 
ble advance!  One  day  some  one  told  me  that  the  Palmers 


96  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

from  New  York  were  on  the  ground,  and  had  a  tent  for  the 
promotion  of  holiness.  This  family  I  feared  more  than  the 
enemy  of  all  righteousness;  but  as  my  success  in  seeking 
holiness  was  so  poor,  I  finally  thought  I  would  find  that  tent, 
and  take  a  seat  in  some  corner  where  if  I  saw  they  were 
pressing  error  upon  the  people  I  could  quietly  leave  them. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  an  impression  beset  me  that  they 
might,  without,  or  against  my  reason,  or  consent,  fasten  error 
upon  me;  so  I  resolved  to  be  on  the  alert,  and  if  I  saw  it  com- 
ing to  avoij  it  by  flight.  I  reached  the  tent  and  took  my 
seat  as  I  had  determined.  I  saw  here  a  large  number  of  per- 
sons, and  among  them  some  Presbyterians,  and  some  of  other 
denominations.  They  were  all  sitting  very  composedly  while 
one  was  reading  from  the  Bible.  I  thought, « Can  this  be 
the  way  to  seek  holiness?  I  wonder  that  they  don't  get  down 
and  pray  with  all  their  might!'  Still  I  could  not  complain 
of  their  reading  the  Bible,  for  that  must  be  right.  After  the 
reading  a  lady  arose  whom  I  guessed  to  be  the  one  from 
New  York,  whom  I  most  feared,  and  I  thought,  I  must  now 
be  on  my  guard;  but  the  first  words  she  uttered  were,  'I  be- 
seech you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye 
present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable, 
unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service.'  'A  living  sacri- 
fice,' she  said,  'is  a  perpetual  sacrifice.'  Well,  thought  I, 
that  is  Bible,  and  all  right,  so  far.  She  then  went  on  to 
state  the  preliminary  steps  to  be  taken:  *  First,  a  thorough 
consecration  of  ourselves  to  God.'  'Very  well,'  said  I  to  my- 
self, 'all  this  I  have  done,  over  and  over  again.'  She  then 
made  this  entire  consecration  to  appear  as  a  reasonable  de- 
mand. She  also  showed  the  reasonableness  of  believing  that 
God  meant  what  he  said,  and  that  he  would  do  what  he  said 
he  would  do,  and  that  our  faith  must  rest  v  mainly  on  his 
promise.  'He  has  said  if  I  will  do  thus  and  so,  he  will  meet 
me  there  and  then,  and  faith  consists  in  taking  him  at  his 
word,' 


THE  WAY  OF  FAITH.  97 

"I  then  saw  the  way  of  faith  as  never  before,  and  I  said 
to  myself,  'I  have  tried  everything  else  but  faith;  I  will  now 
go  out  and  make  an  experiment.'  So  I  went  out  back  of  the 
encampment  and  stood  reviewing  my  consecration  to  be  cer- 
tain that  all  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  God  in  an  everlasting 
covenant.  In  a  moment  there  appeared  to  me  that  image  of 
Christ  crucified ;  but  I  saw  only  his  humanity.  I  seemed  to 
be  standing  upon  the  edge  of  a  fathomless  gulf,  and  Christ 
stood  upon  the  opposite  side.  The  distance  seemed  too  far 
for  me  to  leap  it,  yet  it  was  the  thing  for  me  to  do.  I  must 
trust  that  crucified  Christ  to  save  me  from  ruin.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  if  I  should  make  the  effort  and  it  prove  a  failure, 
I  must  from  that  moment  bid  adieu  to  all  hopes  of  the  world 
of  blessedness,  and  abandon  the  profession  of  religion  forever. 
I  saw  that  everything  I  hoped,  feared  and  desired  was  now, 
with  all  that  I  expected  in  the  world  to  come,  all,  all  to  be 
staked  on  a  single  act,  to  be  lost  or  won  forever.  I  was  in- 
tensely aroused  by  the  thought  of  hazarding  every  hope  of 
heaven  like  that,  and  I  offered  this  prayer,  'O  Lord,  thou 
knowest  all  hearts,  and  that  I  want  to  do  thy  will.  I  have 
tried  honestly  to  know  all,  and  to  do  all  I  could  to  get  right, 
and  thou  knowest  that  I  stand  ready  to  do  or  to  suffer  any- 
thing imposed  upon  me  by  which  to  secure  the  great  blessing 
of  perfect  love.  I  have  tried  everything  but  this  single  and 
apparently  inefficient  and  hopeless  act  of  faith,  which  looks 
to  my  reason  more  like  presumption  than  like  an  act  that  can 
do  me  good;  and  now,  O  God,  seeing  no  other  untried  way, 
I  will  make  the  venture,  and  if  it  fails,  on  thee  must  rest  the 
responsibility.  If  I  am  lost  for  believing  in  Christ,  I  can- 
not help  it.' 

"I  seemed  now  to  open  converse  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  asked,  'How  shall  I  believe?  with  my  head  or  with  my 
heart  ?' 

"The  answer  came,  'With  the    heart  man  believeth  unto 


98  LIFK  OF  JOHN  VV.  RKDKIBLD 

righteousness,  and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation.' 

"I  now  made  the  leap,  as  distinctly  as  if  it  had  been  in 
body,  and  in  the  same  moment  found  myself  in  the  arms  of 
Jesus,  who  held  me  safely.  I  felt  that  I  could  risk  a  world 
in  his  hands;  for  I  saw  that  'in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fullness 
of  the  Godhead  bodily.' 

"Oh,  how  changed  did  all  things  seem  in  that  glorious 
moment!  'Surely,' said  I,  'this  must  be  heaven,  or  like  it, 
for  it  comes  up  to  my  highest  ideal  of  that  place.' 

"The  next  moment  the  enemy  suggested, '  This  is  not  the 
blessing  of  holiness,  for  you  did  not  lose  your  strength,  nor 
have  you  shouted,  or  made  any  great  ado  about  it;  but  on  the 
other  hand  you  do  not  want  to  speak  aloud.'  And  it  did 
seem  as  though  a  single  loud  word  would  mar  the  rich  spell 
which  held  me  captive. 

"I  then  took  my  eye  of  faith  off  from  the  Saviour,  to  ex- 
amine this  temptation,  and  in  a  moment  I  was  back  on  the 
other  side  of  the  gulf  again,  and  was  as  empty  as  ever. 
'Well,' said  I,  to  myself,  'I  felt  all  right  while  believing.' 
That  emboldened  me  to  try  again,  and  with  greater  daring 
than  before,  and  with  the  same  happy  result. 

"Now  the  temptation,  'You  cannot  keep  it,'  took  my  eye 
off  again,  and  again  I  was  back  on  the  other  side  of  the  gulf. 
I  then  sprang  off  again,  when  the  tempter  said,  'No  one  will 
believe  you,'  and  again  succeeded  in  robbing  me  of  my  wit- 
ness. 

"And  so  did  I  alternate  between  faith  and  doubt,  joy  and 
sorrow,  until  I  learned  this  fact,  that  it  is  not  for  believing, 
but  while  believing  that  the  work  is  done.  I  hang  upon 
the  atonement,  and  realize  the  response  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
assuring  me  that  the  work  is  done.  So  I  now  determined  to 
make  the  leap  again,  and  to  keep  my  eye  on  Christ.  This  I 
did;  but  the  enemy  asked,  'How  will  it  be  to-morrow?' 


WITNESSES  TO  SANCTIFICATION.  99 

"I  answered,  'I  don't  know,  for  to-morrow  has  not  yet 
come.' 

'"Well,  how  will  it  be  in  five  minutes?' 

"I  answered,  'I  don't  know  nor  will  I  concern  myself 
about  it;  I  believe  I  am  saved  now/  I  now  saw  the  philos- 
ophy of  faith.  I  breathe  but  one  breath  of  air  at  a  time; 
that  is  all  I  need;  when  I  want  another,  it  will  be  allowed. 
So  I  do  not  need  a  stock  of  the  joys  of  salvation  for  future 
use,  but  take  it,  breathe  it,  by  acts  of  faith  just  as  I  have  need. 
Continuously  acting  faith  brings  a  continuous  supply.  Faith 
to  the  soul  is  what  breathing  is  to  the  body. 

"  'Now,  too,  I  learned  the  philosophy  of  consecration.  It 
is  to  make  room  by  emptying  out  the  heart. 

"  Now,'  said  the  Holy  Spirit,  'go  and  tell  brother  M 

what  the  Lord  has  done  for  you.' 

"I  went  onto  the  campground  and  when  I  found  him,  I 
began:  'Brother  M ,  I  believe' 

"'If  you  tell  him,'  said  the  tempter,  'he'll  tell  you  to  be 
very  careful  about  making  great  professions,  for  sanctifica- 
tion  is  a  very  great  blessing.' 

"Brother  M stood  gazing  at  me  without  saying  a 

word. 

"Then  I  began  again,  '  Brother  M ,  I  believe,' 

but  fearing  he  would  think  I  was  boasting,  I  began  to  qualify 
my  statement,  but  did  not  speak,  and  finally  broke  out,  <-lf  I 
don't  keep  it  Jive  minutes,  I  believe  that  Jesus  has  sanc- 
tified my  unworthy  heart.  Glory  to  GodT 

"Said  Brother  M , '  Go  and  tell  my  wife.' 

"I  had   now   gathered  strength  by  the  testimony  I  had 

given,  and  the  confidence  Brother  M seemed  to  express; 

and  away  I  went  to  his  wife,  and  said  to  her,  '  Sister  M , 

Jesus  has  given  me  the  great  blessing.' 

"She  rejoiced,  and  said,  'Now  go  up  on  the  stand  and 
profess  it  to  all  the  people.' 

"I  did  so,  and  it  seemed  to  settle  and  establish  me. 


100  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

"From  this  I  learned  to  confess  the  exact  thing  done  for 
me,  and  to  guard  against  even  hesitation  in  professing  the 
thing  as  it  is. 

"Dr.  Palmer  found  me,  and  said,  'Mr.  Wesley  says  that 
one  sanctification  is  equal  to  ten  conversions,  as  it  will  result 
in  that.* 

"I  took  a  cue  for  my  future  labors  from  this,  and  resolved 
to  make  a  test  of  it  now.  I  went  into  a  tent  and  began 
at  once  to  invite,  my  brethren  to  come  now  to  the  cleans- 
ing blood.  We  started  a  meeting,  and  God  began  at  once 
to  work  in  awful  power.  I  have  always  found  that  making 
the  experience  of  holiness  the  principal  feature  in  revival 
meetings  does  not  hinder  the  work  of  conversions.  Here  one 
or  two  penitents  came  in  unasked,  and  one  said,  'I  was  im- 
pressed to  come  to  this  very  tent.'  In  a  few  minutes  they 
were  converted.  The  work  in  this  manner  increased  until 
the  end  of  the  camp  meeting. 

"Now  I  began  to  learn  a  distinction  between  the  joys  of 
sanctification  and  those  of  justification.  Formerly,  if  a  camp 
meeting  had  been  a  good  one,  I  would  feel  sad  to  leave  the 
hallowed  spot.  The  striking  of  the  tents  was  to  me  like  a 
funeral.  Now  I  found  it  a  matter  of  joy,  for  I  carried  a 
carrfp  meeting  with  me.  In  holiness  I  found  all  the  elements 
of  a  good  meeting.  When  I  reached  my  room  in  the  city, 
the  thought  came,  *  You  will  sleep  off  all  this  as  you  have 
other  blessings.'  I  retired  to  rest,  and  the  last  words  from 
my  lips  were,  'Glory  to  God!'  When  I  awoke  in  the  morn- 
ing, it  was  '  Glory  to  God !'  still.  Thus  I  found  the  old  corn 
and  wine  of  the  Canaan  of  perfect  love  was  unlike  the  manna 
of  justification,  it  was  hearty,  solid  and  abiding.  Sabbath 
came,  and  I  found  no  more  shrinking  from  doing  duty.  I 
went  over  to  the  church,  and  in  offering  the  closing  prayer  I 
had  special  liberty,  and  was  sweetly  blessed. 

"On  passing  down  the  aisle  a  good  brother  met  me  and 
said,  'Do  you  know  how  you  prayed?  Why  you  prayed 


A  PERFECTED  FAITH.  101 

directly  to  Christ,  and  you  did  not  even  mention  the  name  of 
God,  but  seemed  to  pray  as  if  you  could  get  anything  you 
asked  of  Jesus.' 

"  'Well,  brother,  it  did  seem  to  me  that  "in  him  dwelt  all 
the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  And  don't  you  know 
that  Jesus  said  once,  "Hitherto  ye  have  asked  nothing  in  my 
name.  Ask  and  receive  that  your  joy  may  be  full."  : 

"I  now  felt  the  power  of  the  words,  'No  man  can  call 
Jesus  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost,'  as  never  before.  It 
seemed  no  risk  to  hang  a  world's  salvation  on  the  merits  of 
Christ.  In  this  light  I  saw  the  sin  of  unbelief  to  be  the 
great  soul-destroying  sin  of  the  world,  and  in  comparison 
with  it  murder,  robbery,  and  other  sins  were  of  small 
account." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Mu.  REDFIELD'S  pastor  was  a  good  man,  but  he  did  not 
enjoy  the  experience  of  entire  sanctification.  Like  a  true 
man,  he  stood  by  this  doctrine  of  the  church.  He  said,  that 
some  years  before,  while  he  was  earnestly  seeking  it,  the 
blessing  began  to  come  upon  him  in  great  power,  and  he 
was  tempted  to  believe  that  it  would  take  his  life,  and  he  re- 
fused it.  From  that  time  he  had  thought  that  he  must  pass 
through  life  without  it  as  a  punishment.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  many  intelligent  and  sound  theologians  are  troubled 
with  just  such  difficulties.  While  this  man  could  not  enter 
into  the  work  with  the  zest  which  otherwise  might  have 
characterized  him,  he  encouraged  others  in  the  work. 

With  a  full  heart  and  strong  purpose  Mr.  Redfield  set 
about  inviting  his  brethren  and  sisters  to  claim  their  privilege 
of  enjoying  this  great  blessing.  He  was  a  class-leader,  and 
besides  attending  his  own,  he  visited  other  classes;  attended 
all  the  prayer  meetings,  and  preached  often.  He  appointed 
one  meeting  each  week  for  the  promotion  of  holiness  and  in 
it  God  wrought  in  great  power.  Holiness  became  the  theme 
all  through  the  society,  and  in  the  neighborhood ;  and  in  a 
very  short  time  there  were  more  than  one  hundred  who  could 
testify  in  love-feast  that  they  were  fully  saved.  These  all 
became  workers  for  God,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  for  the 
conversion  of  sinners.  The  latter  now  began  to  fill  the  meet- 
ings, and  soon  to  seek  the  Lord,  and  sanctifications  rapidly 
followed  justifications,  and  the  laborers  increased  in  the  same 
proportion,  and  so  the  work  went  on. 

One  sister  who  kept  a  school  did  her  own  housework, 
took  care  of  her  children,  and  prepared  all  the  meals  for  her 
husband,  yet  found  time  to  bring  from  six  to  twelve  sinners 
to  Jesus  every  week. 

The  work  of  conversions  at  last  broke  out  with  great 

(102) 


OPPOSITION  TO  SANCTIFICATION.  103 

power,  and  extended  rapidly,  until  the  membership  ran  up 
from  five  hundred  to  nine  hundred,  and  the  society  had  to  be 
divided,  and  then  again  the  second  time,  and  furnished  a  large 
number  for  a  third  church.  A  heavy  church  debt  was  also 
rapidly  decreasing  by  the  free-will  offerings  of  the  people. 
Visitors  from  other  churches,  and  from  the  country,  some 
from  sixty  miles  away,  came  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  full  sal- 
vation, and  then  returned  to  spread  the  holy  fire.  Speaking 
of  these  times,  Mr.  Redfield  says: 

"I  wish  the  truth  did  not  require  the  statement  of  some 
facts  that  show  that  the  work  at  that  date  met  with  hinderances. 
Justice  to  the  cause  of  holiness  requires  me  to  do  it,  that  the 
honest  hearted  may  know  that  the  slow  progress,  and  almost 
final  extinction  of  this  blessed  doctrine,  was  by  no  means 
due  to  any  inherent  weakness  in  itself.'  It  began  to  wane 
under  the  combined  hostility  of  a  few  who  would  not  pay  the 
price  of  getting  right  with  God.  Some  of  them  had  dances 
in  their  houses;  some  said,  'We  want  no  more  revivals  in  our 
church,  for  it  dirties  up  the  house,  and  if  sinners  desire  to  get 
religion  let  them  go  somewhere  else,  we  have  enough  mem- 
bers now  for  one  church.'  Others  cried  out  for  order,  and 
neatness,  and  taste,  lest  their  children  go  off  to  other  and 
more  fashionable  churches.  So  they  had  the  church  newly 
and  fancifully  painted  on  the  inside,  introduced  instrumental 
music  for  the  choir;  then  sold  the  seats.  Then  God  quit 
them,  the  congregations  ran  down,  church  debts  ran  up,  and 
the  last  end  was  worse  than  the  first.  And  then  the  com- 
plaint was  heard,  that  'Redfield  had  done  more  hurt  than 
good.'  Some  who  had  professed  to  believe  in  holiness  began 
a  determined  warfare  against  it.  They  would  go  to  some 
who  professed  to  have  experienced  the  blessing,  and  begin 
thus:  'You  say  you  are  sanctified,  do  you?' 

"In  great  modesty  they  would  reply,  '  I  do  believe  Jesus 
has  wrought  that  great  work  in  my  heart.' 

"Then  these  opposers  would  say,  'You  must  be  very  care- 


104  LII-K  OK  JOHN   \V.   RI:I>I  IKLD. 

fill  how  you  profess  anything  like  that,  for  some  people  sim- 
ply get  excited  and  cflll  that  saiictification.  I  have  been  pray- 
ing for  it  a  good  many  years,  and  I  have  not  got  it  yet ;  nor 
do  I  know  how  long  before  I  shall  get  it.  Besides,  we  think 
you  who  have  been  converted  only  a  short  time,  do  not  treat 
us  old  people  with  due  consideration,  even  if  you  do  enjoy 
the  experience  when  you  step  in  before  us  and  profess  it.' 

"I  asked  one  who  made  this  complaint  tome,  'How  long 
have  you  been  seeking  the  experience?' 

"  'Twenty -six  years,'  he  answered. 

'"How  much  nearer  are  you  to  it  now  than  twenty-six 
years  ago?' 

"He  hesitated,  and  finally  answered,  '  I  cannot  say  that  I 
am  any  nearer  to  it.' 

"  'Well,  at  this  rate,  how  much  longer  will  it  take  you  to 
get  it  ?' 

"This  stopped  his  caviling  with  me,  but  not  his  hostility 
to  the  work. 

"Such  arguments  against  the  possibility  of  young  con- 
verts entering  into  the  experience  so  early,  caused  many  of 
them  to  give  up  the  doctrine  and  the  testimony,  and  then 
they  lost  the  witness  of  it.  Then  these  opposers  would  ap- 
proach them,  and  ask,  'Do  you  think  you  have  sanctification 
now?'  The  answer  would  be  honestly  given,  'I  am  not 
clear,  I  may  be  mistaken.'  Then  the  opposer,  in  triumph 
would  say,  'If  you  had  really  received  it  you  would  not  have 
lost  it  so  easily.' 

"I  was,  of  course,  deeply  grieved  and  hardly  knew  what 
to  do.  I  had  felt  so  sure  that  I  had  found  the  secret  of  how 
to  convert  the  world,  and  believed  that  Methodists  and  Meth- 
odist preachers  needed  only  to  see  the  practical  workings  of 
their  own  doctrine,  and  they  would  at  once  return  to  it 
in  preaching  and  practice,  and  their  methods  and  polity 
would  enable  them  to  take  the  world.  I  believed,  though, 
that  this  manifestation  of  opposition  was  exceptional  and  that 


SANCTIFICATION  AND  SUCCESS.  105 

this  doctrine  of  the  Wesleys,  Fletcher,  Bramwell,  Abbott, 
and  Fisk  would  yet  succeed.  I  determined  not  to  abate  one 
jot,  but  to  keep  on  preaching  and  pressing  the  doctrine  which 
I  knew  from  the  experiment  so  far,  would  woik  wonders  in 
saving  sinners.  I  felt  to  say,  '  I  know  this  to  be  right,  and  if 
everybody  fights  it,  it  is  of  God,  and  I'll  stand  by  it,  if  I 
stand  alone.' 

"I  now  felt  my  commission  to  the  world  was  renewed  and 
extended,  and  I  determined  that,  regardless  of  difficulties,  'I 
will  go  as  far  as  I  can  and  stop  only  when  I  must;  if  I  never 
get  through  I  will  try,  and  if  I  die,  I  will  die  trying,  and  at 
my  post;  and  like  the  old  Syracusan,  when  he  had  discovered 
the  power  of  the  lever,  I'll  cry,  "Eureka!  Eureka!"  I  have 
found  it,  I  have  found  it.  For  if  some  oppose,  some  will 
embrace  the  blessed  doctrine,  and  the  results  will  give  them 
confidence,  and  Methodism  will  fulfill  its  mission  in  the 
world.  Whether  I  am  countenanced  by  men  or  not,  I  do 
know,  bless  the  Lord,  that  Jesus  approves  of  me,  in  my  pur- 
poses and  course;  and  whatever  becomes  of  me,  the  world 
shall  have  it  to  say,  that  there  is  one  man  who  will  either 
prove  true  to  God  or  die  trying.  If  some  will  pull  down  the 
work  of  God,  I  must  work  the  harder  and  faster  to  build  it 
up.' 

"I  was  soon  to  be  put  to  the  test.  Not  long  after  this  a 
brother  came  to  me  one  day  and  said,  'You  must  not  go  to 
your  class  to-night,  you  must  attend  the  official  meeting,  for 
there  is  trouble  about  to  come  on  you.  You  must  not  be 
surprised  if  your  class-book  is  taken  from  you,  and  if  your 
meetings  for  holiness  are  stopped.' 

"  'What  is  the  matter?'  I  asked. 

"  'Some  of  the  official  board  dislike  your  talking  about  ho- 
liness very  much,  and  they  say  you  have  already  done  more 
harm  than  you  can  do  good.' 

"But,  with  this  wonderful  work  of  God  before  me,  I 
failed  to  see  the  evil  they  claimed  I  was  doing,  and  believing 


io6  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

that  God  bade  me  go  on,  I  said  to  him,  *I  can't  go  to  the 
official  meeting,  for  God  wants  me  to  go  to  the  class 
meeting.' 

"Another  and  another  came  to  me  with  the  same  mes- 
sage, and  one  of  them  said,  'If  you  don't  go,  I  shall.'  I  told 
them  all,  'God  calls  me  to  my  class,  and  he  will  defend  his 
own  cause.  If  not,  I  don't  want  to  contend  for  anything  he 
will  not  stand  by.' 

"The  preacher  then  came  and  advised  me  to  go,  but  I 
answered,  'With  all  deference  to  you  as  my  pastor,  I  must 
decline,  for  I  feel  I  must  go  to  my  class  and  leave  conse- 
quences with  God.' 

"When  I  went  into  the  class-room  I  found  it  filled  as  full 
as  it  could  be,  while  the  passage  way  was  full  out  to  the 
street.  In  opening  the  meeting  by  prayer,  I  said,  4O  Lord, 
if  we  are  engaged  in  a  work  that  pleases  thee;  if  this  is  thy 
cause,  give  us  a  token  in  such  a  blessing  as  we  have  not 
known.'  Instantly  fifteen  or  twenty  were  struck  down  by 
the  power  of  God,  myself  among  the  number. 

"The  commotion  was  as  great  outside  the  class-room  as 
inside.  As  soon  as  I  could  speak,  -I  said,  'Go  on!  for  you 
have  a  greater  leader  than  man  to-night.'  Immediately  one 
sister  who  had  recovered  her  strength  arose  and  said,  'I  have 
been  powerfully  tempted  this  day,  from  hearing  that  there 
was  going  to  be  an  attempt  made  to  stop  these  meetings,  and 
to  take  Brother  Rcdfielcl's  class-book  from  him,  and  I  have 
been  praying  about  it  all  day,  and  just  before  night  I  got  the 
witness  that  God  would  not  allow  it  to  be  done.' 

"Then  arose  another,  and  another,  and  still  another,  until 
some  twelve  or  fourteen  had  testified  in  like  manner  as  to 
their  temptations,  their  prayers  and  the  answer  to  their  pray- 
ers, in  regard  to  the  matter.  Of  course  they  could  not  know 
beforehand  what  the  action  of  the  official  board  would  be. 
The  meeting  closed  and  the  next  day  I  heard  from  the  board 
as  follows:  'A  motion  was  made  to  arrest  the  holiness  work 


THE  THEORY  DEMONSTRATED.  107 

and  put  a  stop  to  the  meetings;  but  the  preacher  in  charge 
interposed  hy  saying,  "  While  I  am  in  the  chair,  I  shall  ex- 
ercise my  prerogatives,  by  not  putting  any  such  motion  to 
vote.  If  you  pass  them  -without  me,  I  shall  act  upon  my  au- 
thority, and  tell  you  that  you,  cannot  interfere  'with  those 
meetings,  or  abridge  Brother  Redjield*s  liberties" ' 

"All  at  once  one  or  two  of  the  strongest  opposers  to  the 
work  arose  and  confessed  that  they  felt  their  opposition  to 
be  wrong,  and  that  they  were  contending  against  God.  For 
awhile  the  opposition  ceased  and  the  glorious  work  went 
on. 

"One  evening  I  shall  never  forget.  We  were  in  the 
main  audience-room.  I  had  been  urging  the  membership  to 
seek  holiness,  as  the  best  means  of  promoting  a  revival,  and 
that  sinners  would  be  convicted  while  the  church  was  seek- 
ing holiness.  They  came  around  the  altar,  filled  it,  and  then 
the  large  aisles  nearly  to  the  doors.  I  saw  a  door  open  and 
in  came  a  man,  who  pushed  his  way  through  the  mass  kneel- 
ing in  the  passage,  until  he  reached  the  altar,  and  then  ex- 
tending his  hand  to  mine,  said,  'As  I  was  passing  the  church 
a  moment  ago,  and  knew  not  what  was  going  on  here,  I  was 
suddenly  impressed  to  come  in;  for  what  I  could  not  tell; 
but  now  I  know;  and  I  ask,  "Is  there  salvation  for  me?"  :  He 
then  knelt  among  the  seekers." 

Soon  after  a  delegation  from  another  church  waited  upon 
Mr.  Redfield  and  invited  him  to  come  and  labor  with  them, 
saying,  "We  believe  if  you  will  come  we  will  have  a  revival." 
Said  he,  "Brethren,  if  you  desire  a  revival,  let  your  church 
seek  holiness,  and  God  will  work  among  sinners  at  the  same 
time."  He  finally  went  and  preached  as  well  as  he  could  to 
the  church  and  to  sinners,  but  without  any  results.  He  then, 
one  evening,  appealed  to  the  church  again,  and  urged  them 
to  seek  holiness;  and  after  stating  the  cost  and  conditions 
connected  with  it,  invited  the  membership  to  the  altar;  at  the 
same  time  barely  saying  to  the  unconverted,  "If  you  desire 


io8  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

religion  you  may  come  too;"  when  eleven  immediately  came. 
He  went  home  and  in  a  week  or  ten  days  he  was  sent  for 
again.  The  committee  said,  "You  must  come  again,  for  the 
revival  has  come  to  a  stop." 

He  asked,  "But  were  not  the  eleven  converted  ?" 
"Oh,  yes,"  they  answered  "and  then  it  all  went  down.*' 
"But,  have  any  of  the  church  members  experienced  holi- 
ness?" he  asked. 

"Oh,  no,  we  were  so  rejoiced  to  see  sinners  get  religion, 
that  we  forgot  all  about  that." 
"I  thought  so,"  was  his  reply. 

He  was  persuaded  to  go  again,  but  he  had  no  success. 
At  last  he  said  to  the  church,  "You  know,  brethren,  what 
God  did  when  I  was  here  before.  Now  try  it  over  ag;iin, 
and  hold  on  until  God  saves  you."  They  came  forward 
again,  and  nine  sinners  followed  them  to  the  altar;  and  the 
meeting  went  on  for  some  time  with  great  success. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  annual  conference  came  on,  and  there  was  a  change 
of  pastors.  The  new  pastor  was  a  younger  man  than  his 
predecessor.  He  was  evidently  ambitious,  and  tried  hard  to 
please  the  party  opposed  to  holiness,  as  that  was  the  predom- 
inant party  in  the  church.  When  his  first  year  was  drawing 
to  a  close,  and  the  time  for  the  last  quarterly  conference 
was  at  hand,  Mr.  Redfield  was  laboring  some  eight  miles  up 
the  river  above  the  city.  A  revival  of  glorious  power  was 
in  progress,  and  it  seemed  to  be  his  duty  to  stay  with  it.  He 
called  on  his  pastor  one  day  and  asked  him  to  look  after  the 
passing  of  his  character,  and  the  renewing  of  his  license. 
His  pastor  assured  him  that  this  would  be  done.  He  went 
back  to  his  work,  and  soon  after  learned  that  his  pastor  took 
advantage  of  his  absence,  to  bring  in  a  complaint  of  heresy 
against  him,  and  the  question  of  the  renewal  of  his  license 
was  laid  over.  But  the  presiding  elder  sent  word  to  him  to 
go  on,  and  he  would  sustain  him.  He  labored  on  until  the 
next  quarterly  conference,  and  when  the  time  came  was 
greatly  tempted  to  let  this  obstruction  settle  the  question  as 
to  his  continuing  in  the  work;  and  let  those  who  opposed 
bear  the  responsibility.  Then  came  again  the  message,  "Live 
while  you  preach,  but  no  longer."  Both  sides  of  the  case 
were  vividly  presented  to  his  mind,  the  fearful  consequences 
of  not  going  forward,  and  the  blessedness  of  heaven's  ap- 
proval should  he  diligently  pursue  the  path  of  duty.  Yet  he 
suffered  much  over  the  thought  that  those  who  should  have 
made  the  way  smooth  for  him,  were  hedging  it  up.  -He 
could  but  say,  "If  they  knew  how  much  of  suffering  it  costs 
me  to  follow  this  path,  and  would  ask  themselves  what  mo- 
tive must  it  be  that  governs  him,  they  would  not  do  so." 

With  great  reluctance  he  attended  the  quarterly  confer- 
ence. There  was  a  full  attendance  of  its  membership,  num- 
bering forty-five  or  fifty.  At  the  appropriate  time  he  was 

(109) 


no  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

called  upon  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  heresy.  It  consisted 
of  two  points;  first,  his  views  of  the  nature  of  the  millenium ; 
and  second,  his  views  of  the  doctrine  of  Christian  perfection. 
He  arose,  and  invited  all  to  correct  him,  if  he  did  not  tell  the 
truth,  and  to  prompt  him,  if  he  did  not  tell  all  the  truth. 
When  he  had  finished  his  statement  of  his  views,  respecting 
the  first,  the  presiding  elder  said,  "Brethren,  we  must  ac- 
cept of  his  views,  for  he  is  with  Dr.  Clarke.  He  now  asked 
for  the  same  thoroughness  on  the  second  complaint.  He  told 
them  his  experience,  as  much  of  it  as  had  a  bearing  on  the 
doctrine  of  specific  holiness,  of  his  teaching,  preaching  and 
belief.  When  he  had  finished,  the  elder  again  interposed, 
and  said,  "Brethren,  we  must  accept  of  that,  for  he  is  exactly 
with  Mr.  Wesley." 

The  call  was  then  made  for  a  vote  on  the  renewal  of  his 
license,  which  was  granted  by  a  vote  of  forty  to  five. 

He  then  told  the  conference  he  had  a  little  business  for 
them  to  do.  He  said,  "During  the  past  three  months,  the 
report  has  been  kept  in  circulation  that  my  own  church 
would  not  renew  my  license,  and  the  public  know  not  the 
cause;  and  even  some  preachers  to  whose  charges  I  have 
been  invited,  have  had  to  search  for  these  facts  to  satisfy 
their  official  boards,  before  they  would  consent  to  allow  me 
to  labor  among  them.  I  now  desire  you  to  give  me  a  cer- 
tificate stating  that  I  have  been  examined  on  the  points  of 
doctrine  for  which  my  license  was  suspended,  and  that  I  have 
been  exonerated  from  the  charge  of  heresy,  and  found  to  be 
a  sound  Methodist." 

At  this  his  pastor  arose  and  said,  he  could  not  vote  Mr. 
Redfield  a  sound  Methodist,  because,  said  he,  "We  as  a 
church  do  not  believe  with  either  Clarke  or  Wesley  on 
these  points,  but  with  Benson." 

One  of  the  official  board  who  was  grieved  that  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  let  off  so  easily,  arose  and  said,  "If  any  man  says 


UNSOUND  PREACHERS.  in 

there  is  anything  in  the    doctrine  of  sanctification,   he's   a 
liar." 

The  presiding  elder  exclaimed,  "Stop!  stop!  Brother 
Redfield  is  a  Methodist  and  you  are  not.  I  did  not  know 
that  this  church  would  tolerate  such  anti-Methodistic  doctrines 
as  this." 

The  motion  was  finally  modified  to  suit  the  preacher  in 
charge,  and  read,  "That  the  quarterly  conference  having 
examined  Brother  Redfield,  found  nothing  against  him." 

Of  these  proceedings  Mr.  Redfield  says,  "Oh,  how  my 
heart  was  pained,  not  only  to  see  this  unsoundness  as  to  the 
truth,  but  such  quibbling  and  dodging  when  it  came  to  the 
issue.  I  also  saw  that  among  the  preachers  there  was  an  ele- 
ment that  was  not  Methodistic.  Still,  my  confidence  in  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  doctrine  of  holiness  was  unshaken." 
ff  He  soon  learned  that  this  hostility  was  not  against  him- 
self,  but  against  the  cause  which  he  represented.  He  also 
learned,  as  many  have  since,  that  he  who  declares  himself  on 
the  side  of  God,  has  virtually  declared  war  against  earth,  hell, 
dead  formality,  and  ambitious  ministers  of  the  gospel.  ^ 

Mr.  Redfield  says:  "A  friend  of  mine,  an  uncompromis- 
ing champion  for  God  and  the  truth,  was  so  much  feared, 
that  the  preachers  in  his  conference  sought  his  ruin.  Like 
the  accusers  of  Daniel,  they  were  compelled  to  find  the  occa- 
sion in  his  religion.  They  appointed  a  preacher's  meeting 
where  each  was  expected  to  give  a  specimen  of  his  abilities 
by  reading  a  sermon  or  essay,  which  should  then  be  criticised 
by  the  rest.  They  assigned  to  this  brother  a  sermon  on  holi- 
ness. Waiving  his  scruples  against  written  sermons,  he  did 
as  he  was  bidden.  When  the  time  came  the  sermon  was 
read,  and  then  the  criticisms  commenced.  Said  one  of  the 
preachers,  4I  have  often  heard  that  this  brother  was  anti- 
Wesleyan  on  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  and  now  we  have  heard 
it  from  his  own  lips.'  He  then  followed  this  with  a  criticism 
so  severe  that  some  began  to  sympathize  with  the  author  of 


H2  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIDLD. 

the  sermon.  And  they  said  to  him  when  the  first  critic  was 
through,  'You  have  a  right  to  defend,  yourself.'  *  Never 
mind,'  said  the  brother,  'go  on  and  say  all  you  wish  to.' 
Then  another  took  the  sermon  to  pieces  and  showed  its  heret- 
ical character.  Then  another,  and  still  another.  Finally  the 
presiding  elder  was  called  upon  to  make  some  remarks,  hut 
he  only  said,  'The  anti-Wcslcyan  character  of  the  sermon  is 
such  that  I  shall  have  to  reprove  the  brother  first,  privately, 
according  to  the  Discipline;'  intimating  by  this  that  he  would 
bring  charges  against  him  at  the  conference. 

"'Well,  are  you  all  through?'  inquired  the  brother;  and 
on  being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said,  '  Now,  all  I 
have  to  say  is,  I  have  copied  every  word  of  that  sermon  from 
John  Wesley's,  and  in  my  manuscript  you  will  find  I  have 
given  the  volume  and  the  page  from  which  it  is  taken.  And 
I  ask,  Who  is  Wesleyan,  you  or  I?' 

This  was  an  unexpected  turn,  and  some  began  to  excuse 
themselves  by  saying  they  had  not  refreshed  their  memories 
of  late  by  reading  Mr.  Wesley's  writings  on  the  subject. 
Another  attempted  to  parry  the  stroke  by  complaining  of  un- 
fairness in  the  preacher's  taking  out  isolated  portions  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  writings  and  reading  them  as  if  they  were  his  own 
productions. 

This  circumstance,  when  it  came  to  Mr.  Redfield's  knowl- 
edge, convinced  him  more  strongly  that  the  opposition  was 
not  personal,  but  against  the  cause  of  holiness  itself.  At  the 
same  time  he  was  impressed  that  he  would  be  made  to  feel 
this  hostility  more  keenly  still,  and  perhaps  would  be  forced 
to  quit  the  field.  But  he  resolved  to  go  to  the  last  link  of 
the  chain,  for  God  and  purity,  and  stop  only  when  he  could 
go  no  farther. 

With  a  clearer  understanding  of  what  it  meant,  he  now 
more  fully  than  ever  committed  himself  to  the  work  of 
spreading  scriptural  holiness  over  the  land.  While  aware  of 
the  deep-seated  opposition  to  holiness  now  beginning  to  be 


ENCOURAGEMENTS.  113 

manifest,  he  had  the  hope  that  great  success,  in  the  conver-- 
sion  of  sinners,  would  demonstrate  to  the  preachers  that  God 
endorsed  the  doctrine,  and  at  last  their  opposition  would  give 
way.  He  saw,  too,  that  the  literature  of  Methodism  and  the 
Discipline  were  in  its  favor,  and  he  looked  to  see  those  who 
stood  out  against  the  doctrine  brought  to  account  for  their 
criticisms  and  opposition. 

About  this  time,  also,  Rev.  L.  L.  Hamline  was  elevated 
to  the  episcopacy  in  the  church,  a  man  whose  experience  and 
preaching,  and  holy  life,  made  him  one  of  the  brightest  ex- 
amples and  witnesses  of  the  doctrine  in  the  annals  of  the 
church.  For  many  years  after  this  he  was  the  confidential 
adviser  of,  Mr.  Redfield,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  guided  his 
labors,  as  to  place  and  time. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MR.  REDFIKLD  was  now  invited  to  join  the  traveling 
connection  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  For  a 
season  he  looked  upon  this  with  favor. 

While  considering  this  matter  he  became  convinced  that 
from  some  cause  many  ot  the  conference  preachers  had  lost 
their  experiences,  and  most  of  them  their  freedom.  He 
searched  for  the  causes  of  this.  He  found  that  most  of  these 
desired  to  be  and  to  do  right,  but  that  they  were  timid.  Some 
of  them  acknowledged  that  they  were  afraid  of  proscription 
in  case  they  should  make  a  specialty  of  the  doctrine  and  ex- 
perience of  holiness.  In  view  of  this,  and  of  the  fact  that  he 
felt  more  especially  called  to  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  he 
concluded  that  his  place  was  in  the  local  ranks.  Here  he 
would  be  more  free  to  go  where  the  way  opened  before  him. 

At  this  time  there  were  but  few  evangelists  in  the  field. 
It  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  of  evangelistic  effort. 
James  Caughey  had  just  commenced  his  great  work,  and  was 
going  like  a  flame  of  fire  over  England  and  Ireland. 

John  Newland  Maffit,  one  of  the  most  eloquent  preachers 
of  this  century,  had  been  laboring  as  an  evangelist  throughout 
the  country  with  marked  success;  but  the  eclipse  of  his  brilliant 
career,which  by  many  was  believed  to  be  the  result  of  his  own 
indiscretion,  now  produced  a  public  sentiment  in  regard  to 
evangelistic  work  which  was  embarrassing  and  unfavorable 
to  others  who  would  enter  upon  it.  Finney  and  Burchard 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  Knapp  among  the  Baptists, 
were  the  leading  men,  if  not  the  only  ones  in  this  particular 
department  of  church  work,  except  Mr.  Reclfield,  who  rep- 
resented the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

We  have  seen  the  terrific  struggles  through  which  he 
passed  before  he  would  consent  to  enter  the  sacred  office. 
Now  we  see  him  about  to  enter  its  most  untried  and  difficult 

(114) 


FINDS  His  CALLING.  115 

phase  of  work.  His  first  thought  was  to  go  where  there 
were  no  organized  churches,  and  so  become  a  pioneer  to  other 
local  preachers  in  such  fields.  But  the  truism,  "Man  pro- 
poses, but  God  disposes,"  has  been  made  a  truism  by  such  ex- 
periences as  we  are  now  contemplating. 

At  this  very  time  he  had  been  invited  to.  go  up  the  river 
about  twenty  miles  above  New  York  city,  and  add  his  efforts 
to  the  labors  of  other  local  preachers  who  had  broken  the 
ground  and,  as  he  says,  "begun  to  see  some  hopes  of  good." 
He  found  that  formerly  the  people  here  had  heard  but  two 
sermons  a  year,  and  those  on  week-day  afternoons,  and  by  a 
rank  Predestinarian.  Mr.  Redfield's  first  visit  was  on  a 
beautiful  Sunday ;  and  the  first  service  was  in  a  grove.  The 
people  came  from  miles  away.  The  evening  meetings  were 
held  in  private  houses,  and  God  was  present  to  save.  He 
says  the  people  were  simple-hearted  and  natural.  They 
used  no  fine  phrases  nor  religious  cant,  for  they  were  utterly 
unused  to  listening  to  the  relation  of  Christian  experience. 

"At  a  meeting  one  day  in  a  private  house,  a  woman  with 
a  child  in  her  arms  sat  swaying  to  and  fro  with  suppressed 
emotion,  when  her  face  suddenly  whitened  out.  Another 
woman  seeing  the  state  of  things,  took  her  child  from  her, 
when  she  arose  and  said,  'I  don't  know  as  I  have  got  this 
good  religion  what  I  hear  you  talk  about,  but  I  do  feel  so 
good  and  warm  all  along  up  here,'  at  the  same  time  putting 
both  hands  on  her  breast.  It  required  no  doctor  of  divinity 
to  tell  that  she  was  happily  converted  to  God.  Soon  forty 
or  fifty  were  converted  and  formed  into  a  class,  and  then  the 
people  set  to  work  to  build  a  church.  In  eleven  months 
from  the  time  of  the  first  conversion,  the  house  was  finished, 
paid  for,  and  I  was  invited  to  come  and  preach  the  dedicatory 
sermon.  It  was  in  the  evening.  Just  before  preaching  I 
said  to  the  first  convert,  'Jacob,  when  I  am  done  preaching, 
I  want  you  to  give  an  exhortation  from  the  altar,  and  invite 
the  people  to  come  forward  to  seek  religion.'  When  I  was 


n6  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

through  he  did  as  I  told  him,  and  such  another  exhortation 
I  never  heard.  Its  effects  convinced  me  that  God's  tools  are 
adapted  to  their  work,  and  far  more  efficient  when  selected 
from  among  the  people  who  are  saved,  than  all  the  labored 
and  scientific  productions  of  those  unexperienced  in  the 
things  of  God  can  be. 

"The  exhortation  ran  something  like  this:  *  Now,  sinners, 
I  tell  you,  look  a'  here;  I  tell  you,  you  don't  know  how  good 
this  good  'eligion  is.  Oh,  I  wish  you  would  come  up  here 
and  kneel  down  and  get  it!  You  know  I  used  to  drink  rum 
like  anything,  and  swear,  and  play  cards.  But,  oh!  how  good 
this  good  'eligion  hi  Oh,  do  come,  and  kneel  down  and  get 
it.' 

"To  my  astonishment  stout-hearted  men  as  well  as  others 
flocked  to  the  altar  of  prayer.  When  the  meeting  closed,  I 
said  to  Jacob,  'You  and  I  must  go  all  over  this  place  and  ex- 
hort the  people  to  get  religion ;  and  we  will  begin  to-morrow 
morning.' 

"In  the  morning  we  started  on  our  mission.  In  the  first 
house  we  visited  were  two  families.  In  the  first  room  sat  an 
elderly  woman  weeping,  who  was  at  the  meeting  the  night 
before.  Jacob  left  me  to  talk  with  her,  and  he  went  into  the 
other  part  of  the  house  to  talk  with  those  there.  As  soon  as 
he  was  gone  the  old  woman  said  to  me  with  deep  emotion, 
*  Oh,  that  sarment  Jacob  preached  last  night  made  me  detar- 
ment  to  get  this  good  'eligion.' " 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MR.  REDFIELD  was  now  invited  to  a  church  in  one  of 
the  suburbs  of  New  York  city.  This  church  was  sustained 
mostly  by  the  Home  Missionary  Society.  He  found  a  small 
class  of  humble  people,  who  had  been  kept  down  by  the 
proselyting  efforts  of  a  worldly  church  in  the  same  commun- 
ity. One  of  the  difficulties  had  been  that  the  revivals,  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had  been  of  such  a  super- 
ficial character,  that  this  pi'oselyting  was  possible.  Deep  and 
thorough  religious  experiences  would  not  be  so  easily  over- 
come. As  this  church  was  fashionable  and  worldly,  he  was 
satisfied  that  it  was  from  no  abundance  of  piety  that  it  so 
strongly  persisted  in  its  attempts  to  draw  away  the  Method- 
ist converts.  He  clearly  saw  that  the  only  protection  to 
those  who  would  be  converted  in  his  meetings,  as  well  as  the 
prosperity  of  the  church  for  which  he  labored,  was  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  the  revival  in  holiness.  This  would  be  so 
out  of  harmony  with  the  efforts  of  the  other  church,  as  to 
make  it  difficult  for  it  to  sustain  a  claim  to  being  Christian. 
At  the  same  time  the  revival  would  be  seen  to  be  so  in  har- 
mony with  the  Bible  and  the  will  of  God,  and  that  would 
make  young  converts  strong  to  resist  proselyting  influences. 
Again,  it  would  require  such  a  deepening  of  the  experiences 
of  those  who  were  already  members  of  the  church  that  they 
would  be  prepared  to  lead  young  converts  wisely  and  safely. 
This  church  struggle  had  been  of  practical  benefit  to  the 
Methodist  class,  in  that  it  had  kept  the  eyes  of  the  member- 
ship open  to  the  evils  of  worldliness  in  the  church,  and  also 
the  evil  of  mere  church  zeal.  It  also  made  them  the  more 
ready  to  receive  and  stand  by  the  strong  truths  of  the  Bible. 
Here  he  had  an  opportunity  to  labor  freely,  without  opposi- 
tion from  within  the  fold,  although  there  was  plenty  of  oppo- 
10  <117> 


n8  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

sition  without.  He  scarcely  had  commenced  operations,  before 
two  clergymen  of  the  other  church  commenced  to  war  against 
him.  At  first  they  advised  the  people  to  stay  away,  because 
the  Methodists  were  simply  going  to  have  one  of  their  usual 
times  of  excitement.  When  the  meetings  began  to  get  hold 
of  the  people,  and  particularly  of  some  of  the  more  choice  in 
the  community,  one  of  these  preachers  began  to  visit  them 
and  to  coax  them  to  join  his  church.  It  soon  became  neces- 
sary for  Mr.  Redfield  to  defeat  these  efforts,  if  possible,  the 
immediate  occasion  of  which,  Mr.  Redfield  says,  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

"A  man  who  had  been  converted  and  whose  wife  was  a 
seeker,  had  been  strongly  urged,  and  finally  had  consented, 
to  join  this  minister's  church.  One  evening  the  man  came 
inside  the  altar  to  labor  with  some  of  the  seekers,  and  I  said 
to  him,  'I  am  told  that  you  and  your  wife  design  to  join  the 
other  church  as  soon  as  she  is  converted.'  *  Yes,'  said  he, 
«that  is  our  design.' 

"I  said  to  him,  'Don't  you  do  it;  for  they  will  press  your 
religion  out  of  you,  and  press  final  perseverence  into  you,  and 
you  will  lose  your  soul.by  it.  You  won't  join  them,  will  you?' 

"  'No,'  said  he,  'I  will  not.' 

"  I  went  to  his  wife,  who  was  kneeling  at  the  altar,  and 
asked  her,  'Why  is  it  you  do  not  find  what  you  are  after? 
Do  you  give  up  your  whole  will  to  God?' 

"  'Oh,  yes;  I  think  it  is  given  up.' 

"  'Well,  if  God  wants  you  to  join  the  Methodist  Church, 
will  you  do  it?' 

"She  was  startled  with  the  question,  and  I  saw  her  will 
was  against  it;  and  fully  believing  that  for  her  to  join  that 
church  would  be  to  surround  her  with  influences  that  would 
make  it  almost  an  impossibility  for  her  to  be  saved,  I  said  to 
her,  'You  may  rest  assured,  God  will  never  touch  your  case 
until  you  are  willing  to  join  the  Methodist  Church.' 

"'Do  you  think  so?'  she  asked. 


METHOD  WITH  PKOSEI,YTJNG.  119 

"  'Yes,  I  know  it,'  1  replied. 

"  'Then,  I'll  be  willing,'  she  said. 

"'But,  will  you  join  the  Methodists?'  I  asked. 

"Again  she  seemed  to  draw  back,  and  I  saw  that  here 
the  difficulty  lay ;  and  I  said,  'I  am  satisfied  you  will  never 
find  the  Lord  until  you  make  up  your  mind  to  join  the  Meth- 
odists.' 

'"Well,  I  will,' said  she;  and  instantly  shouted,  'Glory  to 
God!  I  have  got  it.' 

"  Various  other  plans  were  adopted  to  draw  our  people 
away  from  us,  but  without  success.  All  the  converts,  with- 
out an  exception,  united  with  us,  which  so  strengthened  the 
society  that  it  ceased  to  need  missionary  help,  and  began  to 
help  others. 

"After  the  failure  of  .the  two  preachers  either  to  stop  the 
revival  or  proselyte  from  us,  their  own  people  dismissed 
them.  One  of  them  was  so  displeased  at  this  that  he  exposed 
the  fact  that  there  was  but  one  communicant  in  the  society, 
the  remainder  simply  sustaining  the  minister  as  an  item  of 
upper-tendom  luxury.  The  other,  for  drunkenness,  stealing 
church  funds,  horse-racing  and  night-reveling,  was  soon  after 
silenced."  *  •  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"I  have  also  learned  that  the  great  opposition  to  the  thor- 
ough work  of  God,  is  from  nominal  professors  of  religion, 
who  have  never  been  converted,  or  who  have  backslidden 
from  a  good  experience;  but  the  severest  of  all  is  from  pro- 
fessed ministers  of  the  gospel.  I  also  came  to  know  that 
whatever  others  might  say  or  do,  I  must  maintain  God's 
rights,  and  will,  at  all  risk  and  expense.  In  doing  this  I 
found  I  must  contend  against  any  and  everything  that  did 
not  bear  the  mark  of  God's  approval,  and  that  nothing  short 
of  this  will  give  that  character  to  the  church  that  will  pre- 
vent it  from  downright  formalism.  The  supposition  that 
there  are  redeeming  traits  in  human  nature  which  only  need 
disciplining,  rather  than  a  radical  change;  and  the  use  of  ap- 


120  LIFE  01   JOHN   W.  RKDI-IKI.D. 

pliances  to  polish  and  adorn,  instead  of  rooting  them  out, 
will,  if  allowed  to  prevail,  banish  heart-felt  religion  from  the 
world. 

"I  have  also  learned  another  important  lesson,  namely 
that  God  demands  harmony  and  purity  among  his  people. 
One  night,  at  this  place,  when  the  altar  was  well  filled  with 
seekers,  we  came  nearly  to  a  stand-still.  My  soul  for  a 
moment  seemed  crushed  within  me.  I  cried  to  God  to  re- 
move the  hinderance;  when  I  was  instantly  impressed  that 
there  were  those  among  us  of  whom  God  would  say,  'Re- 
move from  before  me  the  vile,  and  then  offer  your  sacrifice.' 
So  strongly  did  this  come,  and  so  plainly  did  it  appear  to  be 
in  the  way,  that  I  arose  from  my  knees,  and  getting  the  at- 
tention of  the  congregation,  I  stated  my  impressions,  and 
asked  that  those  present  who  were  conscious  of  wickedness 
in  their  hearts,  and  of  opposition  to  the  work  now  going  on, 
to  have  the  goodness  to  leave  the  house.  Three  members  of 
the  class  immediately  left;  but  no  sooner  had  they  done  so 
than  the  converting  power  of  God  fell  upon  the  congrega- 
tion, and  souls  that  were  seeking  were  soon  set  at  liberty. 
What  was  more  remarkable  was  the  fact  that  for  twelve  or 
fourteen  successive  nights  after,  we  had  a  like  experience 
until  we  could  succeed  in  getting  those  very  persons  to  leave. 
One  of  those  persons  was  afterward  expelled  for  gross  immo- 
ralities. Another  was  proverbially  deficient  in  the  Christian 
spirit,  and  the  other  was  hypocritically  acting  the  part  of  a 
friend  to  our  faces,  but  behind  our  backs  and  with  infidels 
talking  against  the  work  of  God. 

"While  we  were  holding  meetings  at  the  church,  the  col- 
ored people  held  meetings  in  a  private  house,  and  the  power 
of  God  was  among  them  in  a  wonderful  manner.  One  night 
a  young  woman  who  had  been  under  deep  awakening  for 
some  time,  suddenly  arose  and  ran  toward  the  door,  deter- 
mined to  get  away  from  the  leadings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Before  she  reached  the  door  she  fell  to  the  floor  in  great 


A  QUEER  EXPERIENCE.  121 

agony.  She  would  rise  on  one  elbow  and  cry,  <O  Lord, 
have  mercy  !  Lord,  have  mercy!  Lord,  have  mercy  !'  and 
then  sink  back  to  the  floor  again,  to  all  appearances,  sense- 
less. In  a  few  minutes  this  was  repeated,  and  so  continued 
for  seven  days  and  eight  nights.  Some  thought  she  would 
die,  and  called  me  to  go  and  see  her,  which  I  did.  She  had 
then  been  in  this  condition  several  days.  I  tried  to  offer 
Christ  to  her,  and  also  to  find  out  what  her  particular  trouble 
was.  Though  I  persisted  in  my  efforts  for  some  time,  and 
called  to  her  in  a  loud  voice  to  tell  me  what  the  matter  was, 
she  paid  no  regard  to  me,  and  seemed  neither  to  see  nor  hear 
anything.  Still,  at  regular  intervals  she  would  rise  as  I  have 
described,  and  utter  that  cry,  and  then  sink  back  to  the  floor 
again.  She  obeyed  no  call  of  nature  during  this  time,  except 
once  when  she  swallowed  a  few  drops  of  milk  which  was 
put  in  her  mouth.  She  lay  on  a  bed  prepared  for  her  on  the 
floor,  and  there  continued  during  the  period  stated.  Two 
Christian  women  slept  in  the  room,  nights,  to  watch  her. 
The  eighth  night,  when  all  had  retired  to  rest,  and  the  light 
put  out,  the  poor  girl  continued  to  be  exercised  as  before.  At 
last  she  changed  the  wording  of  her  prayer  to,  'Here,  Lord, 
I  give  myself  away.  'Tis  all  that  I  can  do,'  and  instantly 
began  bounding,  and  jumping,  and  praising  God.  As  soon 
as  the  first  gust  of  glory  passed,  she  sank  to  the  floor  from 
weakness  caused  by  her  long  fasting  and  want  of  rest;  and 
they  fed  her  by  the  teaspoonful  until  she  could  bear  a  more 
hearty  meal.  When  she  came  fully  to  herself,  she  said  that 
she  had  seen  the  awful  state  of  the  damned,  and  it  was  that 
which  had  so  distressed  her  and  kept  her  in  such  agony  for 
so  long  a  time.  She  proved  to  be  a  remarkable  specimen  of 
the  converting  power  of  God." 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE  success  of  the  meeting  described  in  the  last  chapter, 
deepened  Mr.  Redfield's  convictions  that  the  preaching  of 
holiness  would  conquer  the  world  for  Jesus,  and  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  follow  the  same  course  wherever  he  went,  since 
it  had  proved  successful  in  every  instance  heretofore.  In 
conscience  he  could  choose  no  other  course. 

In  response  to  a  call,  he  went  to  a  neighboring  city.  Be- 
fore he  commenced  work  in  the  church  to  which  he  had  been 
invited,  he  met  the  pastor  of  another  society  in  the  same  city, 
who  desired  his  services  for  a  few  days  first.  A  meeting  had 
been  in  progress  here  for  six  weeks,  but  not  one  conversion 
had  occurred.  He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  went  to  work. 

Speaking  of  his  experience  here  he  says,  "I  tried  to 
preach  the  class  of  truths  which  the  Holy  Ghost  led  me  to 
preach.  I  called  upon  the  membership  as  Methodists  to  seek 
the  blessing  of  holiness,  as  the  sure  course  to  have  a  revival 
among  sinners.  But  they  would  not.  move."  The  preacher 
then  expressed  to  them  his  surprise  at  this,  and  urged  them 
to  come.  But  they  did  not  respond  to  his  invitation.  After 
the  meeting  was  dismissed  some  of  them  sharply  reproved 
him  for  pressing  them  to  take  such  a  stand  before  the  world. 
To  save  himself  he  threw  the  blame  on  Mr.  Redfield,  and 
the  next  day  told  him  plainly  that  he  did  not  like  his  preach- 
ing, and  that  he  believed  he  was  backslidden,  and  for  that 
reason  thought  everybody  else  was.  Mr.  Redfield  says,  "A 
few  years  afterward  the  same  minister  astonished  me  with 
his  attentions  and  endorsement,  in  a  place  of  considerable 
importance,  where  the  dignitaries  of  the  church,  because  of 
my  success  in  the  place,  were  paying  me  unusual  attentions. 
There  he  could  not  do  enough  in  words  and  affability  to  show 
himself  friendly.  But  his  course  deeply  pained  me.  I  thought, 
if  I  am  not  right  I  ask.  no  man  to  endorse  me,  and  I  value 

(122) 


ENCOURAGED  BY  A  BISHOP.  123 

no  man's  friendship  who  cannot  do  it  when  I  am  an  object  of 
scorn  for  representing  an  unpopular  truth." 

He  returned  to  the  church  which  first  called  him.  Here 
he  found  a  people  and  pastor  right  in  theory  and  effort,  and 
the  first  night  fifteen  professed  to  have  found  the  blessing  of 
holiness.  The  work  among  sinners  also  broke  out  in  great 
power;  and  in  a  short  time  about  three  hundred  were  con- 
verted. 

He  now  felt  sure  that  the  church  would  see  that  success 
would  follow  the  preaching  of  holiness,  and  the  effort  would 
become  general.  But  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment. 
He  says,  "I  learned  little  by  little  that  there  was  a  deep- 
seated  hostility  to  holiness,  especially  among  the  preachers, 
who  evidently  leaned  towards  a  worldly  policy,  and  a  desire 
to  prune  Methodism  of  all  that  was  objectionable  to  pleasure- 
loving  professors.  I  had  heard  that  one  of  our  preachers 
had  said  in  urging  worldly  people  to  become  religious,  'The 
time  has  come  when  a  man  without  a  profession  of  religion 
cannot  find  access  to  genteel  society.'  I  also  had  another 
proof  that  a  worldly  policy  was  gaining  ground  in  many 
places,  and  that  a  time-serving  spirit  swayed  the  councils  of 
the  church  sometimes.  One  of  the -bishops,  who  has  since 
learned  that  it  is  hazardous  to  stand  with  God  against  all  sin, 
told  me  of  some  things  that  indicated  the  downward  tend- 
ency of  Methodism  to  an  extent  that  I  had  not  known.  He 
was  deeply  grieved  over  it,  and  feared  the  final  results.  But 
he  gave  me  some  counsel,  advice  and  encouragement,  that  led 
me  anew  to  hope  for  success  and  to  resolve  undauntedly  to 
pursue  the  thorough  way.  I  could  now  say,  'I  know  of  one 
bishop  and  one  preacher  who  will  try  to  stand  for  God  and 
the  right.'  I  believe  that  the  most  of  them  were  as  they 
thought  in  favor  of  a  high  degree  of  piety;  but  I  was  equally 
sure  that  they  had  more  confidence  in  their  own  ideas  of  pro- 
priety and  consistency  than  they  had  in  the  leadings  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  But  in  charity  to  them  I  believed  that,  taking 


124  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

a  rational  standpoint,  they  did  the  best  they  could.  I  thought 
that  with  the  accession  of  new  preachers  who  were  clear  and 
straight  (and  I  knew  a  goodly  number  of  them  that  were 
about  to  enter  the  work),  and  with  one  bishop  who  could  be 
relied  upon,  that  the  work  of  holiness  would  certainly  be  re- 
vived, and  we  should  again  see  our  Fletchers  and  Bra  nwells 
and  Abbotts,  blessed  men,  whose  influence  would  be  like 
ointment  poured  forth.  Again  I  was  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment, for  I  found  not  only  hostility  to  the  doctrine,  but  suc- 
cessful efforts  were  put  forth  to  put  down  these  revivals,  and 
when  it  was  accomplished,  the  sneering  remark  would  be 
made,  'It  is  another  of  Redfield's  revivals,  and  you  see  what 
it  has  come  to.'  " 

At  times  he  would  be  greatly  discouraged,  and  almost  give 
up  the  struggle.  Then  the  words  would  come,  "Live  while 
you  preach,  but  no  longer,"  and  again  he  would  arouse  to 
greater  diligence  and  faithfulness  than  before.  At  such 
times  the  manifestations  of  the  divine  favor  that  he  received 
were  beyond  even  his  wonderful  powers  to  describe.  He 
would  say  at  such  times,  "It  is  worth  a  life  of  toil  and  dis- 
grace to  feel  that  God  approves,  and  none  can  know  the 
sweetness  of  it  who  has.  not  tasted  it." 

He  found  new  fields  of  labor  were  opening  before  him, 
and  calls  came  on  every  hand ;  but,  usually,  they  came  from 
mortgaged  churches,  and  nearly  extinct  societies.  Here  there 
was  but  little  to  lose,  and  the  authorities  would  give  him 
freedom.  This  was  good  so  far.  To  succeed  in  such  places 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to.  raise  the  standard  of  piety  to 
where  the  Bible  puts  it,  and  this  would  greatly  shock  both 
pastor  and  people.  The  piety  and  even  the  morals  of  the 
membership  were  generally  of  so  low  a  type,  and  the  con- 
trast between  the  standard  he  presented  and  the  characters 
they  manifested  was  so  great  that  it  was  with  difficulty  some- 
times that  he  could  induce  the  pastor  to  suspend  judgment 
until  God  could  redeem  his  cause  by  giving  unwonted  sue- 


NOT  A  POPULAR  WAY.  125 

cess.  In  speaking  of  this  he  says,  "The  good  results  of 
course  would  follow,  as  God's  Holy  Spirit  will  always  work 
with  the  truth."  When  the  victory  came,  pastors  would  say, 
"I  did  not  think  your  course  would  result  so  gloriously.  I 
shall  now  know  what  to  do  at  my  next  station." 

One  said  to  him  about  this  time,  "I  once  saw  things  in 
this  light,  and  tried  to  pursue  the  course  you  do,  and  had  the 
same  results;  hut  I  found  that  influential  ministers  in  the  con- 
ference began  to  look  upon  me  suspiciously,  and  to  utter  mur- 
murings  against  me,  such  as  'unsafe,'  'injudicious,'  'behind  the 
times,'  'an  old  fogy,'  and  'not  a  good  representative  of  our 
church.'  Besides,  I  knew  what  they  did  to  other  men  who 
took  the  same  course  you  do;  they  were  proscribed,  sent  to 
starvation  appointments,  or  were  located." 

Mr.  Redfield  says  the  ministers  would  sometimes  ask  him, 
"What  system  do  you  use,  that  works  so  successfully?  Do 
you  preach  a  regular  course  of  sermons?" 

"My  answer  would  be,  sometimes,  'Oh,  no!  I  take  the 
rough,  unpopular  Methodist  truths  that  preachers  who  hope 
to  be  bishops  and  presiding  elders  dare  not  use.'  Though  I 
would  leave  them  at  such  times  evidently  in  the  best  of  feel- 
ing, thanking  the  Lord  that  one  more  preacher  was  won  back 
to  primitive  piety,  and  could  now  be  depended  upon  to  do 
thorough  work  for  Jesus;  still,  I  have  been  shocked  often  to 
find  that  within  one  year  the  same  preacher  had  fallen  back 
to  the  same  state  of  cowardice,  inefficiency  and  indifference, 
and  some  of  them  would  enter  their  protests  against  the  Red- 
field  revivals." 

In  one  place  to  which  he  went,  the  preacher  was  sick  and 
unable  to  attend  the  meetings.  The  work  broke  out  in  glo- 
rious power.  Some  of  the  members  immediately  began  to 
seek  and  obtain  the  experience  of  perfect  love,  while  others 
opposed  it.  "When  the  former  would  go  to  the  pastor," 
says  Mr.  Redfield,  "and  speak  favorably  of  the  meetings,  he 
would  fall  in  with  them  and  approve  of  all.  When  the  latter 


126  LIFE  OF  JoifN  W.  REDFIELD. 

would  complain  to  him  of  my  preaching  on  dress,  etc.,  he 
would  fall  in  with  them  and  promise  to  stop  me  when  he 
could  get  out.  After  a  little  he  began  to  circulate  slanderous 
stories  about  me.  These  came  out  after  I  left.  I  remarked 
to  some  one  that  I  would  not  be  surprised  if  he  was  out  of 
the  ministry  in  less  than  five  years.  In  a  very  short  time  he 
was  called  to  account  for  a  scandalous  crime,  and  deposed 
from  the  ministry." 

He  found  in  this  place  some  who  had  once  enjoyed  per- 
fect love,  but  who,  from  yielding  to  persuasion  not  to  testify 
of  it,  had  lost  the  experience.  One  of  them  was  a  class- 
leader.  When  Mr.  Redfield  began  to  preach  holiness,  he 
was  the  first  to  come  out  and  seek  it.  The  baptism  came 
upon  him  in  great  power.  He  was  employed  in  a  large  fac- 
tory, and  the  next  time  he  went  to  work  he  asked  permission 
of  the  foreman  to  address  the  other  employes  on  the  subject 
of  salvation.  This  was  granted,  and  Catholics  and  infidels 
listened  to  him  as,  with  streaming  eyes,  he  told  them  of 
Jesus'  power  to  save.  Some  cold  members  of  the  church 
heard  of  it,  and  were  terribly  shocked  at  his  course.  But  God 
wonderfully  blessed  the  man;  so  much  so  that  when  he  got 
home  from  his  work  he  sat  down  and  shouted  aloud  the 
praises  of  God.  One  member  of  the  church,  greatly  shocked, 
came  in  great  haste  for  Mr.  Redfield  to  go  and  see  the  brother. 
From  the  words  and  manner  of  the  messenger  he  supposed 
the  brother  was  in  a  fit  of  some  kind,  and  he  caught  up  his 
medicine  case  and  hurried  to  the  house;  but  on  entering  he 
found  the  brother  clapping  his  hands  and  shouting,  "  Glory, 
glory  to  God!"  while  his  face  shone  with  a  heavenly  radi- 
ance. The  excited  "messenger  was  now  more  shocked  to 
hear  Mr.  Redfield  join  the  brother  in  the  praises  of  God. 
Excitedly  he  exclaimed: 

"I  don't  like  this,  at  all!" 

"Well,  it's  none  of  your  business,"  replied  Mr.  Redfield; 


SAVED  AND  HEALED.  127 

"this  brother  is  not  your  property;  he  belongs  to  God,  and 
God  has  a  perfect  right  to  bless  him  all  he  pleases." 

"But,"  said  the  other,  "what  if  he  never  gets  over  this? 
what  will  become  of  him?" 

"He'll  never  be  fit  for  another  horse-race,  as  long  as  he 
lives,"  was  the  reply. 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  have  that  spell  on  me  for  five  hundred 
dollars,"  said  the  frightened  man. 

"Make  yourself  perfectly  easy  about  that  matter,"  said 
Mr.  Reclfield,  "for  I  assure  you,  you  are  in  no  danger,  for 
God  will  keep  clear  of  you  while  you  are  in  this  mood." 

"About  this  time,"  says  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  was  called  to  go 
and  visit  a  lady,  dying  with  the  consumption.  She  was  re- 
duced to  a  mere  skeleton,  and  to  all  appearances,  might  die 
that  night.  I  tried  to  point  her  to  Jesus  as  the  great  physi- 
cian of  souls,  and  besought  her  to  cast  herself  upon  him  at 
once.  To  encourage  her,  I  told  her  of  a  man  whom  I  had 
lately  visited,  who  was  sick  like  her,  and  without  hope,  but 
who  was  so  desirous  of  salvation  that  he  tried  to  get  on  his 
knees,  though  he  was  so  weak  that  as  often  as  he  made  the 
effort  he  would  fall  over.  But  he  found  the  Lord,  and  died 
in  peace.  I  told  her  she  need  not  try  to  get  on  her  knees; 
that  the  Lord  could  hear  her  just  as  well  when  she  was  lying 
down.  But  as  soon  as  I  was  gone  she  insisted  upon  getting 
on  her  kneesj  and  with  the  assistance  of  a  woman  who  was 
watching  with  her,  she  was  enabled  to  do  so,  and  while  kneel- 
ing by  her  bedside  the  Lord  saved  her  and  healed  her  in  the 
same  moment.  One  or  two  Sabbaths  after  that  she  was  in 
church,  giving  glory  to  God,  who  had  healed  her  soul  and 
body 

"Soon  after  thisr  I  was  called  to  see  a  brother  who  had 
lately  been  converted,  but  was  now  dying  with  the  consump- 
tion. I  found  him  apparently  breathing  his  last.  His  wife 
and  sister  stood  weeping  by  his  bedside;  and  looking  on  was 
his  only  child,  just  old  enough  to  know  that  his  father  was 


128  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

sick,  and  that  his  mother  and  aunty  were  feeling  badly.  The 
sick  man  was  suffering  terribly  from  suffocation,  but  his  face 
was  filled  with  smiles.  I  said  to  him,  'Dear  brother,  if  you 
are  able  to  speak  again,  tell  me  if  you  feel  Jesus  sustains  you.' 

"With  a  desperate  effort,  in  monosyllables,  he  answered, 
'Oh, — yes ; —  I  — am — so — hap — py — I — don't — feel — it — and 
— if — this — is — to — be — my  — heaven  — for —  ev — er,  — its — 
e — nough.' 

"I  was  also  invited  to  go  and  see  a  good  old  sister  who, 
for  many  years,  had  enjoyed  a  deep  experience  in  the  things 
of  God,  but  who  was  now  passing  away  to  the  spirit  land. 
I  went  in  company  with  her  class-leader,  and  when  we  en- 
tered the  stairway  leading  to  her  room,  the  counseling  phy- 
sicians in  the  hall  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  had  just  given  the 
opinion  that  she  was  then  dying.  We  were  invited  into  the 
room,  and  her  daughter  told  her  that  we  had  come,  and  then 
with  her  ear  close  to  the  old  lady's  lips,  she  was  able  to  get 
her  request  for  us  to  pray.  This  we  did,  and  then  withdrew; 
but  scarcely  had  we  got  outside  the  door  when  her  spiritual 
vision  caught  a  full  view  of  her  coming  Lord,  and  so  great 
was  the  strength  imparted  by  it  that  she  raised  to  a  sitting 
posture  in  the  bed,  and  waving  her  hand  in  triumph,  declared 
that  she  saw  Jesus;  and  continued  thus  to  triumph  until  she 
passed  beyond  the  clouds." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

WHEN  the  spring  came  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Long 
Island  to  spend  the  summer  and  recruit.  He  preached  in  the 
villages  on  Sunday  and  attended  prayer  and  class  meetings 
during  the  week.  Before  preaching  he  would  go  into  the 
woods  and  plead  with  God  until  he  received  assurances  of 
divine  help. 

Referring  to  these  times,  he  says:  "While  under  the 
Spirit's  influence  and  power  in  preaching,  I  would  often  see 
and  proclaim  truths  that  put  my  own  experience  and  piety  to 
the  test.  I  have  profited  more  by  trying  to  practice  the 
truths  which  I  have  seen  at  such  times,  than  from  the  preach- 
ing of  others." 

At  a  camp  meeting  in  the  early  fall,  his  presiding  elder 
requested  him  to  supply  a  vacant  pulpit  until  the  season  for 
holding  revival  meetings.  This  charge  had  been  abandoned 
by  the  preacher  appointed  by  the  conference.  Mr.  Redfield 
had  no  sooner  consented  to  go  than  he  was  advised  by  an  old 
preacher  not  to  go,  for,  said  he:  "In  all  my  labors  for  twenty 
six  years  I  have  never  seen  a  place  so  hopeless."  But  Mr. 
Redfield  resolved  to  make  the  trial.  When  he  arrived  at 
the  place,  he  learned  that  the  society  was  organized  by  Jesse 
Lee,  of  blessed  memory,  who  at  the  time  was  sent  of  God  in 
answer  to  prayer;  that  the  church  had  once  been  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition;  that  four  classes  had  been  reduced  to  'one; 
that  many  of  the  members  had  not  been  in  class  for  three 
years;  that  one  leader  had  not  met  his  class  for  a  year;  that 
some  of  the  members  were  Universalists;  that  some  were 
habitual  drinkers;  and  that  there  was  an  old,  unsettled  quar- 
rel of  twenty  years'  standing  between  some  of  the  members. 
This  made  him  very  sad.  He  says:  "My  first  visit  was  to 
an  old  man,  the  principal  on  one  side  in  that  quarrel.  He 
asked  me  if  I  had  come  to  be  their  preacher.  I  told  him  I 

(129) 


130  Li  IK  OF  JOHN   W.   RI.DFIEI.I). 

had.  'Well,'  said  he,  'there  is  no  use,  unless  you  put  the 
people  through  a  course  of  discipline.'  He  then,  in  a  rapid 
and  zealous  manner,  began  to  bring  their  sins  to  light,  and  to 
tell  me  how  much  he  had  suffered  by  them.  I  said,  'Hold 
on  a  moment.* 

"  '  I  tell  you,'  said  he,  '  they  are  not  worthy  of  church  fel- 
lowship.' 

"  '  Wait  a  moment,'  I  interposed. 

"  'Oh,  there's  no  use  of  your  trying  to  do  anything  here, 
amid  so  much  of  wrong;  and  everybody  knows  it.' 

"I  had  to  let  him  go  on.  When  at  last  he  was  almost  out 
of  breath,  I  managed  to  make  him  hear  me  and  got  him 
stopped.  I  then  said:  ' Now,  brother,  you  are  much  older 
than  I  am,  and  I  don't  feel  myself  capable  of  attempting  to 
settle  the  matter  until  I  have  asked  God  for  wisdom.'  At 
this  I  knelt,  and  he  knelt  with  me.  I  then  determined  not 
to  rise  until  God  melted  his  heart.  I  struggled  in  prayer  for 
some  time,  when  at  last  he  began  to  cry  out,  *O  my  God, 
what  have  I  been  about!  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me!  Oh, 
how  wickedly  have  I  sinned  against  thee!'  Finally  he  said, 
'  I  want  a  meeting  called,  so  that  I  can  confess  my  wrong  and 
my  sin,  for  I  am  the  one  to  blame.'  A  meeting  was  called, 
and  the  offended  members  readily  received  the  old  man's  con- 
fession and  forgave  him,  and  the  breach  was  healed. 

"  One  of  my  visits  was  to  old  Brother  V—  — 's,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  members  that  joined  the  society.  At  his 
house,  for  many  years,  the  few  pious  ones  tiaed  to  meet  to 
ask  God  to  send  them  a  preacher  'after  his  own  heart'.  It 
was  in  answer  to  their  prayers  that  Jesse  Lee  came  and  organ- 
ized them  into  a  class.  The  old  brother  had  been  a  very 
efficient  leader  and  exhorter,  but  now  his  understanding  and 
memory  were  in  ruins.  His  good  wife  said  to  him,  'Father, 
here  is  the  preacher  who  has  been  sent  to  us.'  The  old  man 
raised  from  his  stooping  position  in  the  chimney  corner,  and, 
with  a  vacant,  wavering  stare,  said, '  Why — how — is  your 


AN  OLD-TIME  METHODIST.  131 

mother?  Well?  Why — you  look  good.'  I  had  heard  that 
pious  old  people,  however  broken,  would  sometimes  remem- 
ber well  matters  of  religion;  and  after  satisfying  myself  that 
he  was  only  able  to  converse. in  a  very  incoherent  manner,  I 
abruptly  inquired,  'Father  V—  — ,  do  you  know  one  Jesus  of 
Nazareth?'  Instantly  his  whole  demeanor  changed,  and,  with 
an  intelligent  air,  he  answered,  'Yes,  I  have  known  him  a 
great  many  years.  He  is  my  Saviour,  and  he'll  not  turn  me 
off;'  and  then  repeated  many  passages  of  Scripture  and  sev- 
eral hymns,  so  appropriate  to  the  thought  he  first  expressed 
that  I  was  amazed  and  could  hardly  assure  myself  that  he 
hail  not  been  trying  to  play  a  deception  upon  me. 

"The  Sabbath  came,  and  I  went  to  church.  A  goodly 
number  had  come,  probably  from  curiosity,  to  see  the  new 
preacher.  I  had  resolved  to  deliver  my  own  soul  regardless 
of  persons  or  conditions,  by  declaring  the  whole  counsel  of 
God.  But  I  saw  no  favorable  indications.  After  a  few 
efforts  during  the  week  following  to  bring  about  a  change, 
and  finding  it  all  in  vain,  I  went  to  sinners  and  exhorted 
them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  The  response  from 
them  was,  'Go  look  after  your  ungodly  members.'  Sabbath 
came  again,  and  I  delivered  my  message  in  view  of  the  judg- 
ment. When  I  was  leaving  the  church,  I  met  the  principal 
member  of  the  official  board,  who  accosted  me  thus,  'We 
don't  like  your  preaching  here  at  all,  rior  the  chapters  you 
read  from  the  pulpit.  Hell  is  not  very  popular  here.' 

"I  inquired,  'Will  you  tell  me,  brother,  what  I  have 
preached  that  is  not  Bible  truth?' 

"  'Well,'  said  he,  'I  believe  it  is  true.' 

"'Do  you  want  me  to  preach  lies?'  I  asked. 

"I  went  home,  weeping  along  the  street.  I  now  saw  if 
I  was  going  to  accomplish  anything,  I  must  do  it  with  my 
might.  So  Monday  morning  I  went  to  the  grove,  and  knelt 
before  the  Lord  in  prayer.  It  seemed  as  though  the  powers 
of  darkness  were  all  about  me.  The  sensations  I  experienced 


132  Ln  K  OF  JOHN   \V.   RKDFIKLD. 

were  as  if  by  the  hardest  effort  I  was  overcoming  great  ob- 
stacles and  rising  higher  and  higher  until  my  head  struck 
against  a  rock,  and  I  sank  back  overcome.  I  arose  and  sought 
another  place  to  plead  with  God,  and  there  experienced  the 
same.  Thus  I  continued  day  after  day  through  the  week.  I 
would  go  to  the  house  once  in  a  while  and  get  something  to 
eat,  and  then  return  to  the  struggle.  Sometimes  my  agony 
was  such  that  it  seemed  to  me  I  could  rend  the  heavens  with 
my  cries  for  the  salvation  of  sinners.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
if  I  could  hold  on  until  the  victory  came  I  should  see  them 
saved.  When  Saturday  night  came  my  very  brain  seemed 
sore,  and  the  jar  of  my  step  gave  me  pain.  I  felt  a  kind  of 
bewilderment  coming  on,  but  I  had  received  no  answer. 
I  had  resolved,  in  the  name  of  God,  to  see  a  break  and  sal- 
vation come  to  the  church  on  the  next  Sabbath,  or  an  end 
put  to  its  standing  as  a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  the  Al- 
mighty and  the  world. 

"Sunday  morning  came,  and  with  eyes  sore  from  weeping, 
and  my  brain  tender  from  the  continual  struggle  of  the  week, 
I  walked  softly  and  carefully  to  the  church,  and  intothe  pulpit. 
In  opening  the  service,  I  said  to  the  membership:  'This  day 
ends  my  labors  in  this  place.  You  do  not  want  me  here,  and 
I  do  not  want  to  stay,  for  I  am  heartily  tired  of  pouring 
water  on  to  rocks.  But  if  God  will  help  me,  I  will  either  see 
a  break  to-day,  or  see  this  ungodly  apology  for  Methodism 
annihilated.  1  have  asked  no  man's  money;  I  go  at  my  own 
expense ;  but  I  shall  go  straight  for  God.'  Nothing  seemed  to 
move  in  the  morning.  In  the  evening  I  went  into  the  pulpit 
again,  and  announced  that  I  should  redeem  my  pledge.  Of 
course  this  aroused  their  hate  to  a  high  pitch.  As  God 
helped,  I  pointed  out  the  track  of  an  acceptable  disciple,  and 
the  only  one  that  could  possibly  pass  the  gates  of  Paradise. 
At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  I  asked  those,  and  only  those 
who  meant  it  and  would  take  this  track,  and  where  needed 
go  to  their  neighbors  and  confess  to  them,  and  pi  ay  with 


EFFORTS  WITH  SINNERS.  133 

them,  and  who  would  seek  for  the  blessing  of  holiness  until 
they  knew  they  had  it,  to  rise.  I  didn't  believe  I  could  get 
them  to  come  forward.  Two  only  arose,  and  they  were  of 
the  most  lowly.  'Well,'  said  I,  'there  seem  to  be  but  three 
of  us,  counting  myself  as  one,  and  God  besides;  but  I  think 
we  will  try .  and  have  a  prayer  meeting:.'  Those  two  and 
myself  were  all  that  would  kneel,  I  in  the  altar,  and  they  at 
their  seats,  about  half-way  down  the  church.  I  opened  with 
a  short  prayer,  and  began  to  rise  in  spirit  until  I  struck  that 
rock  again.  I  then  asked  some  one  else  to  pray,  but  no  one 
responded,  and  I  tried  again  with  the  same  experience  and 
result,  and  the  third  time,  and  the  fourth,  and  fifth,  until  the 
sixth  time,  in  immediate  succession.  I  now  felt  that  this  is 
the  last  time,  and  that  if  I  did  not  get  the  victory,  God  would 
say  to  me,  'Let  them  alone.'  The  case  was  a  'desperate  one, 
and  I  knew  the  world  and  the  devil  were  against  me,  and  the 
church  members  who  would  not  kneel;  but  I  said  in  my 
prayer,  'O  God,  I'll  go  as  far  as  I  can.'  Again  in  spirit  I 
began  to  rise,  and  soon  I  struck  that  rock  again,  and  it  seemed 
to  shiver  to  atoms.  Instantly  the  house  was  filled  with 
the  divine  glory.  The  two  who  were  kneeling  with  me  fell, 
and  their  shouts  and  screams  were  so  loud  that  they  alarmed 
the  village.  The  people  came  running  in  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  and  as  they  crowded  up  the  aisles  and  saw  the 
two  prostrate  under  the  power  of  God,  tears  chased  each 
other  down  their  faces;  and  the  poor  tempted  members  be- 
gan one  after  another  to  confess  their  hostility,  and  ask  for 
pardon,  and  promised  to  take  the  track  pointed  out  to  them. 
I  staid  one  more  week,  and  forty-five  sinners  were  con- 
verted. The  preacher  who  had  abandoned  the  work  returned, 
and  the  revival  went  on  in  power  for  some  time.  Ten  or 
fifteen  years  afterward,  I  heard  from  that  society,  and  it  still 
was  doing  well." 

He  was  now  waited  upon'  by  a   preacher  from   a  place 
about  seven  miles  away,  who  said,  "I  want  you  to  come  to 


134  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDIIKLD. 

our  church.  We  have  been  holding  meetings  for  three 
weeks,  and  not  one  soul  is  yet  converted.  And  it  is  the  re- 
quest of  the  Baptist  and  Presbyterian  ministers  also,  for  you 
to  come."  He  went,  and  without  consulting  the  minister  as 
to  what  course  he  should  pursue,  he  followed  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  the  leadings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  first  night 
while  he  was  preaching,  some  arose  and  went  out  of  the 
house  in  great  haste,  slamming  the  doors  as  they  went;  but 
.they  soon  returned,  and  did  the  same  thing  over  again.  He 
learned  after  the  meeting  was  dismissed  that  they  were  mem- 
bers of  the  church  who  took  this  method  to  show  their  dis- 
approval of  his  preaching.  They  went  to  the  preacher  and 
told  him  that  he  must  send  Mr.  Redfield  away,  or  he  would 
ruin  the  church.  The  Baptist  and  Presbyterian  ministers 
gave  him  similar  advice.  The  next  night  the  congregation 
was  larger  than  before,  though  these  opposers  had  prophe- 
sied to  the  contrary.  He  preached  as  he  felt  God  desired 
him  to.  Now  none  even  came  to  the  altar,  and  it  was  said 
he  had  broken  up  the  revival.  Two  or  three  who  had  been 
forward  before  he  came  now  refused  to  come.  He  sent  the  I 
next  day  to  see  what  the  difficulty  was,  and  was  informed 

/that  they  had  no  design  of  changing  their  lives  at  all,  but 
nad  thought  if  the  Methodists  praying  for  them  would  do 
them  any  good,  they  were  willing  to  let  them  do  it.  Now 

/  they  did  not  care  to  go  any  farther.  From  this  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  satisfied  that  he  had  not  harmed  the  revival,  and  re- 
solved to  keep  on  in  the  track  on  which  he  had  started.  Now 
the  opposers  became  very  angry,  and  began  to  advise  the 
people  to  stay  away,  for  the  preacher  was  not  fit  to  be  heard, 
and  was  no  proper  representative  of  Methodism.  A  promi- 
nent infidel  met  some  of  them  face  to  face,  and  said,  "Let 
that  man  alone;  he  is  the  only  honest  man  among  you,  for  he 
dares  to  tell  the  whole  truth.  He  cuts  me  up  *  'fore  and  aft,' 
but  I  shall  still  go,  for  I  like  to  see  a  man  who  is  honest  for 
his  God."  He  did  keep  on,  and  was  converted.  Now  the 


UNITED  OPPOSITION.  135 

war  began  in  dead  earnest.  Ministers  of  other  denomina- 
tions continued  to  counsel  and  advise,  and  their  conclusions 
were  that  to  allow  him  to  stay  any  longer  would  be  the  ruin 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  greatly  embold- 
ened the  opposers  in  the  church.  The  Baptists  and  Presby- 
terians left  their  churches  and  appointed  meetings  each  side 
of  him  to  keep  their  members  away. 

Mr.  Red  field  went  before  the  Lord  with  the  matter. 
He  says,  "I  felt  to  say,  'O  Lord,  thou  knowest  I  don't  know 
what  to  do.  Give  me  thy  help  for  this  once.  Tell  me  what 
the  message  is.'  A  text  and  subject  were  presented  to  my 
mind  from  which  I  shrank.  I  said,  'O  Lord,  that  will  never 
do;  for  the  people  are  so  much  offended  now  that  this  will 
produce  a  perfect  tempest  and  break  up  the  meeting.'  The 
instant  I  shrank  I  was  in  the  dark,  and  distressed  beyond  en- 
durance; I  now  cried  out,  'Lord,  show  me  the  way,  and  I'll 
follow.'  Then  that  text  and  subject  came  again.  Finally  I 
asked  the  Lord  to  direct  me  to  some  appropriate  text  as  cor- 
roborative, if  that  was  his  will.  I  opened  the  Bible  at  ran- 
dom and  put  my  finger  down  on  the  words,  'Be  not  afraid, 
but  speak,  and  hold  not  thy  peace,  but  speak  for  I  am  with 
thee,'  etc. — Acts  xviii.  9,  10.  I  said,  'Lord,  I  will  venture  it 
at  all  hazards,  although  I  am  sure  that  I  shall  be  stopped  be- 
fore I  am  through.'  When  I  went  to  the  church  I  found  in- 
stead of  a  small  congregation  the  house  was  so  crowded  that 
it  was  necessary  to  throw  open  the  unfurnished  galleries, 
which  had  never  been  used  before.  The  two  meetings  on 
either  side  of  us,  which  had  been  appointed  to  draw  off  the 
people,  were  deserted.  But  now  was  to  come  the  tug  of 
war.  One  thing  encouraged  me:  the  preacher  in  charge  was 
a  very  devoted  man.  Though  he  said  but  little,  I  knew  he 
was  ready  to  identify  himself  with  the  right  and  to  rise  or 
fall  with  it.  But  I  expected  trouble  with  the  people,  and 
especially  with  the  official  board.  When  I  went  into  the 
pulpit  I  thought,  'They  will  order  me  out  before  I  can  read 


136  LIKK  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDKIKLD. 

tho  first  hymn;  but   I   will    proceed   unlil   they  stop  me.'     I 
read  for  the  first  hymn  the  one  commencing: 

"  'Shall  I  for  fear  of  feeble  man, 

The  Spirit's  course  in  me  restrain? 
Or  undismayed  in  deed  and  word, 
Be  a  true  witness  of  my  Lord?' 

"Such  an  unction  was  given  that  every  word  fell  upon  the 
congregation  with  great  power.  When  I  had  finished  I 
thought,  'Well,  I  have  read  my  hymn,  and  I  have  not  been 
ordered  out  yet ;'  but  the  temptation  came:  'If  you  pray  as 
you  feel  you  "will  be  collared  by  some  of  the  officials  and 
taken  out.'  I  resolved  to  go  as  far  as  I  could,  and  just  as  the 
Holy  Ghost  should  prompt  me.  When  I  finished  the  prayer 
I  thought,  'I  have  prayed,  and  I  am.  not  ordered  out  yet.'  I 
read  another  hymn,  and  after  the  singing,  I  announced  for 
my  text:  'I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you;'  and  as  the  Spirit 
gave  me  utterance,  I  tried  to  show  them,  first,  that  my  au- 
thority was  from  God;  second,  that  the  message  was  from 
God;  third,  that  the  message  was  unbending  in  its  require- 
ments, and  was  not  to  be  trifled  with. 

"I  felt  an  unearthly  thrill  charging  me  from  head  to  foot, 
while  the  place  was  filled  with  a  sense  of  the  awful  presence 
of  God.  I  soon  saw  that  the  minds  of  the  congregation 
were  in  great  commotion;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  power  of 
God  broke  like  a  thunder  clap  upon  the  people,  and  such 
screaming,  falling,  shouting,  and  crying  for  mercy  I  had  no 
thought  of  seeing  in  that  place.  All  denominational  lines 
were  obliterated  in  an  instant,  and  Baptists,  Presbyterians, 
and  Methodists  took  each  other  by  the  hand,  and  with  deep 
emotion  declared  this  God  to  be  their  God.  After  this  the 
w»rk  went  gloriously.  One  brother  said  to  me  that  night: 
'I  now  see  what  was  the  matter  with  our  revival  five  years 
ago;  we  did  not  go  deep  enough.  It  was  for  the  want  of 
the  strong  doctrine  of  holiness  that  it  all  fell  away,  for  out 


NUMEROUS  CALLS  TO  PREACH.  137 

of  five  hundred  converts  we  had  hardly  one  left  that  has  not 
backslidden.'  " 

Mr.  Redfield  was  now  invited  by  a  good  old  brother  to 
come  to  his  help  in  a  place  about  five  or  six  miles  away.  He 
had  been  doing  his  best  to  start  the  work  without  presenting 
the  heart-stirring  doctrines  of  holiness.  Mr.  Redfield  felt  it 
his  duty  to  tell  the  people  how  gloriously  the  work  of  holi- 
ness would  move  the  work  of  conversions  forward,  and  called 
upon  the  church  to  begin  to  seek  the  experience.  He  then 
asked  those  who  desired  to  seek  pardon  to  rise  to  their  feet, 
when  fifteen  immediately  responded.  The  next  day  the 
preacher  and  he  visited  from  house  to  house.  At  the  first 
house  at  which  they  called  they  found  the  woman  rejoicing 
in  the  fullness  of  salvation,  while  busy  at  work  over  the 
wash-tub.  She  said:  "I  came  from  the  church  last  night 
fully  resolved  to  seek  for  perfect  love,  and  immediately  set 
about  it,  and  before  morning  came  God  gave  me  the  desire 
of  my  heart.  It  does  seem  as  though  I  never  found  it  so  easy 
to  get  along  before.  I  tried  to  sweep  this  morning,  and  the 
very  broom  seemed  to  move  itself.  My  children  never  seemed 
so  obliging  and  good  as  they  do  this  morning.  Oh,  glory  to 
God  in  the  highest!" 

His  calls  to  help  the  preachers  were  now  so  numerous  that  he 
could  spend  but  a  short  time  in  each  place.  He  had  met 
with  a  preacher  at  a  camp  meeting  in  the  fall  who  now  de- 
sired him  to  come  to  his  assistance.  It  was  about  ten  or  fif- 
teen miles  distant,  in  a  large  and  fashionable  church.  There 
had  been  a  very  extensive  revival  in  the  church  the  winter 
before.  He  went,  but  with  great  misgivings  about 
coming  under  the  minister's  influence,  for  he  seemed  to  be 
very  superficial  in  his  work.  They  had  hardly  commenced 
before  he  informed  Mr.  Redfield  one  day  that  they  were  in- 
vited out  to  tea.  This  Mr.  Redfield  feared  was  a  trick  of 
the  devil  to  dissipate  his  communion  with  God,  and  he 
frankly  told  the  minister  he  dared  not  go  out  to  afternoon 


138  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

parties  of  any  kiml,  for  he  had  only  time  and  strength  to  do 
God's  work,  and  he  felt  the  need  of  being  closeted  with  God 
every  moment  when  not  at  church,  or  traveling  from  place 
to  place.  The  preacher  told  him  he  need  not  fear  any  irre- 
ligious tendencies.  Mr.  Redfield  says:  "I  was  overpersuaded, 
and  for  once  I  yielded.  When  we  arrived,  I  found  the  par- 
lors filled  with  gay,  but  intelligent  women,  some  of  whom 
were  members  of  the  church.  My  heart  sank  within  me, 
and  I  desired  to  withdraw.  But  the  preacher  assisted  in  giv- 
ing a  religious  tendency  to  the  gathering;  yet  this  forced 
apology  for  religion  only  pained  me.  Tea  was  soon  passed 
around,  and  I  had  paid  all  the  compliments  I  desired  to.  As 
soon  as  this  was  over  I  sang  a  spiritual  hymn,  and  then  knelt 
in  prayer,  and  we  continued  until  all  the  nice  and  shaped-up 
order  was  broken,  and  God  came  in  slaying  power.  This 
good  beginning  was  a  sample  after  which  we  patterned,  and 
held  social  meetings  every  afternoon  in  private  houses.  These 
fitted  us  for  the  public  services  at  night  in  the  church,  where 
God  saved  a  multitude  of  sinners.  Yet  I  must  say,  I  think 
it  is  hazardous  to  undertake  a  system  of  fashionable  visiting 
in  connection  with  a  revival  meeting. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MR.  REDFIELD  now  received  a  letter  from  a  preacher  whom 
he  had  met  at  the  camp  meeting  alluded  to  in  a  former  chap- 
ter, and  whom  he  had  promised  to  assist  during  the  winter, 
if  possible.  At  their  first  meeting  this  preacher  was  a  seeker 
for  perfect  love.  He  had  inquired  of  another  preacher  how 
he  should  seek  for  it,  and  was  referred  to  Mr.  Redfield.  At 
first  his  heart  revolted  at  the  idea  of  going  to  a  local  preacher 
for  advice;  but  finally  he  concluded  to  do  so.  "When  he 
came,"  says  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  felt  the  opposite  from  what  he 
had  felt,  and  shrank  from  attempting  to  give  him  advice.  I 
said  to  him,  'I  am  but  a  poor  unworthy  local  preacher,  and  it 
is  asking  a  great  deal  of  me  to  advise  you;  but  with  your 
leave,  I  will  tell  you  some  part  of  my  experience,  and  then  I 
will  ask  you  a  few  questions.'  When  I  had  finished  my  ex- 
perience, I  asked,  'Brother,  can  you  say  to  begin  with,  "The 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done?'  " 

"  'I  ought  to,'  he  answered. 

"  'But  do  you  say,  "O  God,  thy  will  be  done"?'  I  asked. 

"  'I  do,'  said  he,  very  emphatically. 

"  'But  hold  a  moment,  brother.  Let  us  see  what  possibly, 
may  be  the  will  of  God,  and  then  when  you  comprehend  it, 
see  if  you  can  still  say,  "Thy  will  be  done."  God's  will  is 
comprehended  in  two  tables — what  you  must  do,  and  what 
you  must  suffer.  Now  it  may  be  the  will  of  God  that  you 
should  be  put  down  as  a  very  inferior  preacher,  and  be  sent 
out  on  to  the  frontier,  as  unfit  to  represent  Methodism  in  any 
populous  town.  Now,  do  you  say,  "Thy  will  be  done"?' 

"'I  do,'  he  replied. 

"  'But  stop  again.  It  may  be  God's  will  for  you  to  go  to 
Africa,  and  spend  your  life  there;  to  leave  home  and  society 

(139) 


140  LIFE  OF  JOHX  W.  REDFIKLD. 

and  let  your  bones  sleep  in  the  hot  sands  of  that  country ;  now 
can  you  say,  "Thy  will  be  done"?  ' 

tt  'I  do,'  he  again  answered  promptly. 

"  'But  brother,  that  may  not  be  your  track;  for  God  wants 
poor-house  preachers,  and  I  don't  know  but  that  you  can  in 
poverty  and  rags,  in  the  poor-house,  show  the  power  of 
grace  to  triumph,  and  that  your  sufferings  there  will  so 
preach  the  power  of  the  gospel  that  some  one  by  that  means 
will  be  pressed  to  seek  religion,  who  would  not  by  any  other. 
Can  you  now  say,  "Thy  will  be  done"?' 

**  'I  do,'  was  his  prompt  reply  again. 

"  'But  it  may  be,  brother,  that  God  wants  you  to  testify  by 
the  triumphs  of  his  grace  over  pain,  and  your  calling  may  be 
to  suffer  distress  of  body,  that  the  power  of  grace  may  so 
shine  out  in  your  case  that  some  infidel  may  be  won  to  Christ, 
and  he  become  the  honored  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God 
of  bringing  many  to  Chiist,  and  thus  you  do  more  than  in 
any  other  way;  now  can  you  say,  "Thy  w'ill  be  done"?' 

"And  again  he  said,  'I  do.' 

"  'Well,  brother,  you  have  got  just  half-way  through ;  and 
by  this  you  know  you  have  the  consent  of  your  will  to  suffer 
the  will  of  God.  Now  about  doing  the  will  of  God:  you 
may  have  duties  to  do  from  which  your  heart  up  to  this  time 
has  shrunk;  the  little  duties  which  will  put  you  at  variance 
with  every  one  who  is  not  in  harmony  with  God — "Who  is 
deaf  as  my  servant;  and  blind  as  he  that  is  perfect,"  says  God 
— to  take  sides  with  God,  and  never  allow  yourself  to  set  up  a 
defense  of  self,  to  be  thorough,  straight,  and  honest;  to  vindi- 
cate the  rights  of  God,  as  you  would  within  five  minutes  of 
the  judgment.  You  can  stand  for  God  when  protected  by 
men  of  influence  in  your  conference,  but  will  you  be  as  tena- 
cious for  all  of  God's  will  when  all  turn  against  you?  Re- 
member you  will  be  considered  an  old  fogy,  unsafe,  impru- 
dent in  want  of  charity.  You  need  not  abuse  men  to  win  a 
bad  name;  only  be  unflinching  for  God,  and  your  name  is 


CONVERSATION  WITH  A  PASTOR.  141 

worth  more  now  than  it  ever  will  be  again.  If  a  man  of 
wealth  should  pick  you  up  out  of  the  ditch  in  a  starving  condi- 
tion, and  take  you  under  his  care,  provide  for  you,  and  make  you 
one  of  his  heirs,  on"  condition  that  you  keep  watch  of  his  in- 
terests, would  you  think  it  right  to  allow  men  to  come  and 
steal  his  property,  for  fear  you  might  make  some  of  them 
your  enemies?  God  has  called  you  to  be  a  watchman,  and 
you  must  on  no  condition  allow,  in  silence,  an  infringement 
of  his  rights.  You  will  meet  with  ministers  who  will  regard 
it  a  small  thing  to  be  so  particular;  but  no  man  is  too  particu- 
lar in  matters  of  sufficient  importance  for  the  Almighty  to 
notice.  The  world,  a  dead  church,  and  time-serving  minis- 
ters will  protest  against  you,  and  resort  to  all  manner  of 
means,  more  or  less  dishonorable,  to  humiliate  you.  Now 
can  you,  do  you  say,  O  Lord,  I  will  do  thy  will,  if  I  stand 
alone?  Can  God  count  on  you  as  one  who  can  be  trusted 
to  do  the  exact  right,  when  his  back  is  turned,  and  the  church 
and  the  world  conspire  to  outlaw  you  for  your  fidelity  ?' 

"'I  do  say,'  he  replied,  'the  whole  will  of  God  shall  be 
done  in  me,  and  by  me,  at  every  cost.' 

"  'Well,  now  you  are  all  the  Lord's,  are  you  not?' 

"'Oh,'  said  he,  'it  seems  to  me  there  is  '  something '  that  I 
have  not  yet  comprehended  in  this  surrender.' 

"  'Well,  brother,  tell  the  Lord,  when  that  'something''  is 
made  apparent,  that  you  will  then  give  that  also.' 

"'I  do,'  said  he. 

"'Well,  then,  you  have  given  all  to  do  and  to  suffer  the 
will  of  God,  have  you  not?' 

"'Oh,  yes.' 

"  'Well,  then  you  are  the  Lord's.  Now,  brother,  who 
has  required  all  this  surrender  at  your  hands?' 

"  'Why,  God;  has  he  not?' 

"'What,  everything?' 

"  'Yes,  has  he  not? 


142  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"'Oh,  yes,'  said  I,  'now,  if  he  has  demanded  all,  and  you 
have  given  all,  do  you  think  he  will  ever  accept  it.' 

"'Oh,  yes;  if  he  has  required  all,  and  I  have  given  all,  he 
will  accept  it,  for  he  is  not  trifling  with  me.' 

"'Well,  if  he  will  accept,  when  will  he  do  it?' 

"'Oh,'  said  he,  'I  don't  feel,1 

^-  "  'Well,  you  are  not  ready  to  feel ;  you  are  just  now  ready 
to  helieve;  not  that  you  have  the  witness,  for  you  have  not; 
but  believe  on  the  bare  promise  of  God,  that  having  complied 
with  the  conditions  in  giving  yourself  to  him,  God  now  fin- 
ishes the  work  by  accepting  you.V^- 
/  "'What,  must  I  believe  before  I  feel?'^ 

"'Brother,  do  you  tell  sinners  when  they  are  seeking  to 
wait  until  they  feel?  or  do  you  tell  them  to  take  the  promise 
of  God  for  the  face  of  it?' 

"  'Why,  I  tell  them  God  is  to  be  trusted,  and  they  must 
credit  his  word.' 

"'Is  not  the  promise  of  God  to  the  sinner,  just  as  good  for 
the  preacher?  or  do  you  want  better  security,  than  the  sinner 
has,  that  God  will  keep  his  word?' 

"'Why,  I  ought  to  ask  no  better  security,  and  I'll  try  to 
believe.  But,'  said  he, 'I  don't  feel  yet!' 

"  'You  have  not  done  all  yet.  Now,  finish  the  condi- 
tion: "With  the  heart,"  not  simply  the  assent  or  consent 
of  the  head,  but  "with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteous- 
ness." You  finish  the  work  of  doing  right  in  your  compli- 
ance with  the  condition.  But,  now,  it  is  "with  the  mouth 
confession  is  [to  be]  made  unto  salvation."  : 

"'What,  confess  that  I  feel  what  I  don't  feel?' 

"'Oh,  no;  that  would  be  telling  a  lie;  confess  what  you 
believe;  viz.,  that  God  is  true  to  his  word,  and  that,  on  the  bare 
say-so  of  God,  you  now  believe  that  he  accepts  what  you  have 
given  him.' 

"He  immediately  went  to  a  tent  and  confessed,  not  to 
what  he  felt,  but  to  what  he  believed;  and  while  in  the  act 


REVIVAL  EFFORTS  BEGIN.  143 

of  doing  so  the  witness  came;  and  referring  to  this  experience 
in  a  testimony  given  some  six  weeks  afterwards,  he  said,  'It 
seemed  to  me  that  I  was  like  a  vessel  lost  in  a  sea,  without 
bottom  or  shore;  and  I  was  so  filled  with  the  divine  glory 
and  power  that  I  prayed  for  God  to  stay  his  hand.' 

"This  brother  now  desired  to  engage  me  to  come  to  his 
charge  and  assist  him  in  a  protracted  meeting  during  the  com- 
ing winter.  I  told  him  I  would,  if  the  Lord  permitted,  but 
also  told  him  to  go  home  and  persuade  all  the  church,  as  far  as 
possible,  to  seek  the  blessing  of  sanctification,  and  that  I  would 
guarantee  that,  in  the  meantime,  God  would  work  upon  sin- 
ners. He  said  he  would  do  it,  and  the  following  will  show 
the  results: 

"About  two  months  after  this  I  received  a  letter  from  him 
saying,  'I  wish  you  to  be  here  next  Tuesday  to  begin  a  pro- 
tracted meeting.*  I  took  a  public  conveyance,  and  reached 
his  place  on  Monday  evening.  On  arriving  at  his  house  I 
learned  he  was  gone  to  a  private  house  to  hold  a  holiness 
meeting.  I  found  the  house,  and  on  opening  the  door,  I  saw 
the  place  was  filled  with  people  whose  faces  fairly  shone. 
The  remainder  of  the  evening  was  given  to  testimony,  mostly 
of  those  who  had  entered  into  the  experience  of  holiness. 
These  were  clear  and  strong.  There  were  a  number,  also, 
who  testified  as  seekers  of  the  experience.  The  meeting 
was  one  of  glorious  power.  After  it  closed,  as  the  minister  and 
myself  were  on  our  way  to  his  home,  I  asked,  'How  long 
have  you  been  holding  these  holiness  meetings?' 

"  'About  two  months,'  he  answered. 

"  'How  many  of  the  church  now  enjoy  holiness  as  a  dis- 
tinct blessing?'  I  asked. 

"  'I  think  the  largest  proportion  of  them  are  now  in  the 
experience,  and  almost  all  the  remainder  are  pressing  after 
it,'  was  the  reply. 

"  'Do  you  remember,'  I  asked,  'what  I  told  you  at  the 
camp  meeting?  that  if  you  and  your  people  would  keep  at 


144  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

the  work  of  holiness,  God  would  work  in  the  awakening  of 
sinners?'  I  inquired. 

"  'Yes,  I  do,'  said  he. 

"  'Do  you  know  of  any  cases  of  awakening?'  I  further 
asked. 

"'No;  I  don't — not  one,' he  replied,  and  then  calling  to 
one  of  the  leaders  who  was  walking  near  us,  asked:  'Brother 
H ,  do  you  know  of  any  sinners  who  are  serious?' 

"  'No,'  said  the  brother,  'I  don't  know  of  any.' 

"  'Well,'  said  I,  'this  beats  me;  for  I  never  knew  it  to  fail. 
I  believe  yet  that  you  will  find  that  God  has  been  doing 
something.' 

"  Tuesday  afternoon  came,  and  we  met  at  the  church,  but 
there  was  no  sign  of  any  stir  among  sinners.  It  was  the 
same  at  the  evening  service;  also  Wednesday  afternoon  and 
evening.  Thursday  afternoon  we  seemed  to  have  come  to  a 
halt,  and  could  not  stir.  As  a  last  resort  we  called  upon  the 
church  members  to  come  to  the  altar  to  renew  our  conse- 
crations, and  others  to  seek  the  blessing  of  holiness.  In  a 
few  minutes  it  seemed  as  though  the  powers  of  darkness 
were  let  loose  upon  us.  The  preacher  cried  out:  ''Hold on! 
Steady  faith  !  Steady  faith  /'  and  all  at  once  the  power  of 
God  fell  upon  us,  and  there  was  a  great  crying  out  among 
sinners;  and  one  or  two  came  to  the  altar  screaming  for 
mercy,  and  soon  were  hopefully  converted  to  God.  From 
this  moment  the  work  went  on  in  great  power. 

"The  next  morning  one  of  the  class-leaders  came  to  the 

preacher  and  said :    'Brother    O ,  my  cousin   who  is  an. 

infidel  and  never  goes  to  church,  does  not  seem  to  be  as  hard 
as  usual.  He  goes  with  his  head  down;  and  I  would  not 
wonder  if  you  might  be  able  to  talk  to  him  about  religion. 

Will  you  and  Brother  R go  with  me  to    his    house   and 

see  him?' 

"  Down  to  his  house  we  went  and  were  introduced  to  his 
wife,  and  sat  down  to  wait  for  the  leader  to  go  to  the  man's 


CONVERSION  OF  AN  INFIDEL.  145 

shop  to  call  him.  As  soon  as  he  came  in  at  the  kitchen  door 
and  saw  us  in  the  other  room,  he  wailed  out, '  O  God !  O  God ! 
what  shall— what  shall  I  do?  Oh!  oh!  oh!  God,  what  shall  I 
do?'  I  felt  like  getting  the  Bible  and  directing  him  to  a  promise 
to  the  broken-hearted  sinner  to  read  for  himself,  and  asked 
his  wife, 'Have  you  a  Bible  in  the  house?'  Shg  arose  and 
went  to  a  cupboard  over  the  fireplace  and  took  one  out;  he 
caught  sight  of  it  as  she  handed  it  to  me,  and  broke  out,  'Oh, 
that  poor  neglected  Bible!'  I  took  it  and  turned  to  the  words, 
'  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of 
me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest 
unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is 
light.'  I  held  them  before  him,  and  said,  'Look  at  that  and 
read  it.'  He  brushed  his  long  hair  from  his  eyes  with  his 
hand,  and  gazed  through  his  tears  upon  the  precious  words. 
'Read  theni  for  yourself,'  I  said. 

"With  emphasis  he  replied,  '  I  am  reading  it.' 

"  'Well,  I  want  you  to  believe  it,'  I  continued. 

"'I  am  believing  it,'  he  answered,  and  burst  into  such  a 
tempest  of  shouts  as  made  the  whole  house  ring. 

"His  wife  now  cried  out,  'O  God,  have  mercy  on  me,' and 
commenced  to  wring  her  hands,  walking  the  floor  back  and 
forth,  and  crying, 'What  shall  I  do?  what  shall  I  do?'  The 
little  children,  who  were  too  young  to  appreciate  the  feelings 
of  the  parents,  began  to  cry  aloud.  In  a  few  moments  the 
mother  was  happy  in  the  Lord. 

"As  soon  as  the  first  gust  of  glory  had  passed  over,  and 
the  man  had  so  far  recovered  from  the  overpowering  effects  of 
his  joy  that  he  could  talk,  he  said :  '  Now,  I  know  what  all 
this  means;  I  know  what  all  this  means.'  He  then  said  he 
had  not  been  to  a  church  for  two  years;  but,  about  two 
months  before  had  felt  sadly  impressed  that  some  great  calam- 
ity was  about  to  befall  him.  'I  thought,'  he  said,  'perhaps,  I 
am  going  to  die,  or  some  member  of  my  family  is  going  to  be 


146  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

taken  away.     But  now  I  sec,  it  was  the  Holy  Spirit  convict- 
ing me;  and  now  I  have  got  religion.' 

"The  preacher  went  down  through  the  main  street  of  the 
town,  calling  upon  the  people,  and  I  returned  to  his  house. 
After  awhile  he  came  back  with  the  glad  tidings  that  God 
had  indeed  broken  up  the  entire  place.  Said  he,  'As  I  was 
passing  the  first  store  one  of  the  proprietors  called  me  in,  and 
there  at  one  of  the  counters  stood  his  partner  weeping,  and  as 
I  entered,  he  inquired  if  I  could  tell  them  how  to  be  saved. 
I  directed  them  as  well  as  I  could,  and  started  on  down  the 
street.  As  I  was  passing  the  court-house  the  jailor  asked  me 
to  come  in  and  pray  for  him,  for  he  wanted  religion.  When 
I  left,  and  was  passing  a  lawyer's  office,  he  accosted  me,  and 
asked,  '  Sir,  can  you  tell  me  how  to  be  saved?' 

"I  continued  laboring  with  this  brother  a  few  weeks,  but 
as  the  work  was  going  well  enough  without  me,  I  went 
where  I  was  needed  more.  In  one  of  the  meetings,  before 
I  left,  I  counted  about  forty  who  testified  about  like  this: 
'Some  two  months  ago,  while  I  was  at  work  in  my  store  (or 
shop,  or  on  the  farm,  as  the  case  might  be),  I  felt  the  awaken- 
ing Spirit  of  God  had  got  hold  of  me,  and  I  sought  and  ob- 
tained mercy.'  But  not  one  was  there  of  all  who  professed 
to  be  saved  while  I  was  there  who  referred  to  any  preaching 
or  any  meeting  whatever,  as  the  means  for  awakening  them." 
He  now  went  at  the  request  of  a  minister  to  a  small  city 
where  the  Methodists  for  many  years  had  been  robbed  by 
systematic  proselyting  of  all  who  would  be  of  financial  bene- 
fit to  a  church;  and  this  by  open  hostility. 

Mr.  Redfield  resolved  to  break  it  up,  by  the  help  of  God. 
He  plainly  saw  that  people  of  such  a  spirit  would  not  prop- 
erly care  for  converts,  and  that  it  would  be  positively  danger- 
ous, in  a  spiritual  sense,  for  them  to  go  into  such  associations. 
As  soon  as  he  commenced  his  labors  they  commenced  their 
operations.  He  made  a  public  statement  of  the  case,  and 
told  them  they  must  get  religion  enough  to  stop  such  wicked 


MEETS  WITH  MORE  PROSELYTING.  147 

work,  and  go  to  work  and  quarry  out  their  own  converts,  for 
their  success  in  proselyting  was  coming  to  an  end.  He  then 
warned  the  people  against  them;  saying  it  would  be  at 
the  peril  of  their  souls  to  have  anything  to  do  with  such 
folks.  One  minister  began  to  preach  against  the  Methodists, 
and  soon  after  was  dismissed  by  his  church.  Another  at- 
tempted the  same,  but  his  church  stopped  him  after  his 
first  effort.  Some  five  or  six  different  churches  were  engaged 
in  the  same  work,  but  such  was  the  thoroughness  of  the 
revival  that  the  young  converts  could  see  the  difference  be- 
tween the  true  and  the  false,  and  none  of  them  were  lost. 

But  a  poor  drunken  Universalist  preacher,  who  had  once 
been  a  Methodist,  but  after  being  expelled,  turned  Episco- 
palian, and  then  became  a.  Universalist,  was  not  so  easy  to 
get  along  with.  He  went  to  New  York  city  to  find  some- 
thing with  which  to  shake  the  confidence  of  the  people  in 
Mr.  Redfield.  He  was  stirred  up  to  this  by  some  of  his 
members  being  converted  and  leaving  his  church ;  and  be- 
cause the  new  church  he  was  building  had  come  to  a  stand- 
still from  lack  of  interest  in  its  completion  as  one  result  of 
the  revival.  When  in  New'  York  he  foolishly  laid  his  plans 
before  some  who  knew  Mr.  Redfield,  and  who  kindly  in- 
formed him  of  them. 

When  the  Universalist  minister  returned  he  reported 
that  Mr.  Redfield  came  to  the  place  on  a  stolen  horse,  and 
that  he  had  run  away  from  a  city  about  two  hundred  miles 
distant  in  deep  disgrace.  Mr.  Redfield  concluded  to  say 
nothing  about  it,  but  leave  the  man  in  the  hands  of  God, 
and  soon  after  he  died  with  the  delirium  tremens. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

MR.  REDFIELD'S  extreme  and  incessant  labors  now  began 
to  tell  severely  upon  his  naturally  frail  constitution.  For 
some  time  each  effort  to  preach  had  greatly  exhausted  him, 
and  sometimes  it  had  seemed  as  though  he  would  never  be 
able  to  preach  again.  Severe  attacks  of  vomiting  had  now 
set  in  that  indicated  cancer  of  the  stomach.  He  became  so 
weak  that  he  was  obliged  to  lie  down  at  the  close  of  his  ser- 
mons, and  let  others  take  charge  of  the  altar  work.  All 
remedies  failed,  and,  obliged  to  leave  the  field,  he  went  home, 
as  he  supposed,  to  die.  For  a  long  time  his  sufferings  were 
of  the  most  excruciating  character.  It  was  six  months  be- 
fore he  entered  a  church  again,  and  eight  months  before  he 
preached  another  sermon.  During  this  time  his  communion 
with  God  was  uninterrupted,  and,  as  the  sequel  shfcws,  his 
affliction  was  to  be  a  means  of  building  him  up  more  strongly 
in  the  faith.  He  says: 

"In  the  midst  of  the  severest  pain  my  soul  was  so  filled 
that  sometimes  I  would  cry  out,  'O  Lord,  I  would  not  have 
one  pain  less.'  My  happiness  at  the  thought  of  having  fallen 
with  my  armor  on,  and  that  I  was  suffering  for  my  zeal  for 
God,  and  not  for  wickedness,  was  indescribable. 

"I  had  found  a  home  with  a  very  kind  family  who  did  all 
for  my  comfort  that  lay  in  their  power.  To  all  appearances 
I  could  live  but  a  short  time;  yet  I  would  not  allow  any  one 
to  sit  up  with  me,  and  these  dear  friends,  without  my  knowl- 
edge, would  come  into  my  room  in  the  night  to  look  after 
me.  When  I  found  this  out,  I  desired  them  not  to  do  so.  One 
night  I  locked  my  door  so  that  they  would  feel  themselves  ex- 
cused from  watching  me.  I  had  scarcely  laid  down  before  I  felt 
a  peculiar  sensation  like  a  wave  pass  over  me,  from  my  head  to 
my  feet;  and  with  it  an  impression  as  of  a  clear  voice  saying: 
'This  is  death.'  I  realized  my  condition,  and  thought,  'They 
will  find  my  door  locked  in  the  morning,  and  after  awhile 

(148) 


A  REMARKABLE  VISION.  149 

will  force  it  open  and  find  me  dead.'  Then  I  thought,  'If 
this  be  death,  I'll  go  singing;'  so  I  began  the  song  commenc- 
ing: 

"  'I  am  on  my  way,  passing  over.' 

I  sung  the  first  verse  and  began  the  second,  when  my  voice 
failed,  and  I  finished  it  in  a  whisper.  I  tried  the  third 
verse  and  my  breath  stopped.  I  then  tried  to  move  a  hand, 
and  then  a  foot,  but  could  not.  I  felt  a  sensation  all  through 
me  as  though  my  spirit  was  about  to  leave  the  body.  My 
eyes  turned  upward,  and  myriads  of  angelic  spirits  seemed  to 
be  hovering  over  me,  as  if  waiting  to  bear  me  home.  All 
my  previous  conceptions  of  the  'innumerable  company'  were 
eclipsed  by  this  vision.  I  thought:  'How  great  must  be  the 
whole  number  if  the  escort  for  one  poor  man  is  so  without 
number!' 

"With  the  same  suddenness  with  which  it  came  on,  that 
wave  of  death  passed,  and  my  heavenly  visitors  were  gone. 

"I  had  often  prayed  that  I  might  have  some  testimony 
that  was  reliable,  that  the  visions  that  dying  Christians  so 
often  declare  they  have,  are  true,  and  this  seemed  to  be  in 
answer  to  my  prayer. 

"I  had  seen  two  sisters,  both  of  them  Christians,  in  quick 
succession,  pass  away  with  the  consumption.  Both  of  them 
professed  to  have  found  the  experience  of  perfect  love  in  one 
of  my  meetings.  The  first  one  gave  me  a  kiss  with  her  dying 
lips,  and  declared  she  saw  angels,  and  heard  them  singing, 
and  that  children  were  mingled  with  them.  She  called  upon 
her  watchers  to  listen  and  to  look.  But  one  suggested  to  the 
other  that  she  was  out  of  her  mind,  to  which  she  responded : 
'Oh,  no!  now  look  there!  now  listen!'  But  the  scene  and 
sound  were  only  for  herself. 

"Soon  after  I  was  called,  in  company  with  the  attending 
physician,  to  make  the  last  visit  to  the  other  sister.     On  ap- 
proaching the  sick  room,  she  asked : 
12 


150  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RBDFIKLD. 

"  'Who  has  come?' 

"  'Your  physician,'  was  the  answer. 

" 'Well,  let  him  come  in.  And  who  is  the  other?'  she 
asked. 

"They  told  her,  and  she  said:  'Let  him  come  in,  too.' 

"I  approached  the  bed;  around  it  stood  her  weeping  hus- 
band and  friends.  Her  eyes  were  already  dimmed  with  the 
clouds  of  death.  She  asked  her  physician:  'Doctor,  am  *I 
not  dying?  I  think  I  have  been  all  day.'  But  the  doctor 
knew  not  the  power  of  divine  grace  and  dared  not  answer. 
The  more  he  hesitated  the  more  she  urged  an  answer.  'Say, 
doctor,  am  I  dying?  You  must  tell  me.'  He  touched  her 
pulse  and  then  her  temple,  and  finally  said:  'Yes,  you  are 
now  dying.'  An  indescribable  smile  instantly  spread  over 
her  face;  and  she  said:  'Now  let  everybody  come  in  that  I 
may  testify  to  them  of  the  power  of  salvation  in  death.'  She 
then  sank  into  a  gentle  doze  for  a  moment,  and  then  again 
aroused  herself,  and  with  that  heavenly  smile  upon  her  face 
she  said:  'Oh,  yes,  bless  the  Lord,  I  am  dying.'  She  then 
reached  out  her  hand,  with  the  chill  of  death  upon  it,  and, 
taking  mine,  she  asked:  'Oh,  do  you  see  those  beautiful  stars? 
I  want  to  testify  once  more  if  I  can  to  the  power  of  this 
great  salvation.  O  brother,  do  continue  to  preach  holiness, 
for,  oh,  how  it  saves!' 

"She  had  been  quite  offended  at  first,  because  I  pressed 
her  so  strongly  to  give  up  conformity  to  the  world,  but  now 
she  seemed  eager  to  encourage  me  to  press  it  on  others  with 
all  my  might,  for  the  glorious  results  were  so  rich." 

These  incidents  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his 
mind,  and  the  vision  described  at  the  opening  of  this  chapter 
he  always  thought  was  the  fruition  of  the  desire  that  was 
created  by  them. 

While  recovering  from  his  sickness,  he  was  invited  to 
preach  in  one  of  the  New  York  churches.  After  service  he 
went  to  Dr.  Palmer's  to  dinner.  When  he  had  an  opportunity 


A  SIMILAR  VISION.  151 

to  do  so,  he  related  some  of  these  incidents   to   Sister  P— 
and  asked  her  views  in  regard    to  them.     She  replied,  "I  be- 
lieve we  should  have  more  of  them  than  we  do,  if  we  would 
not  make   a   bad    use   of   them;"  and    then   added,  "I  wish 

Sister  B was  here  to  tell  you  some  facts  concerning  her 

mother."     The  door  bell  that  moment  rang,  and  in  came  Sis- 
ter   B .     Sister   Palmer  turned    to  her  and  said,  "I  wish 

you  would  tell  Brother  Redfield  about  the  remarkable  scenes 

at   your  mother's  death-bed."     When  seated,  Sister  B 

related  the  following: 

"  My  mother  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  perfect  love  for 
more  than  forty  years.  When  she  came  down  with  the  sick- 
ness that  ended  her  life,  my  sister  and  I  watched  with  her 
by  turns  all  through  it,  until  the  last  night,  when  mother  said, 
'Now  daughters,  you  must  go  to  rest,  for  it  will  disturb  me  if 
you  do  not,  for  you  are  so  worn.'  But  I  said  to  her,  'Mother, 
you  do  not  know  how  sick  you  are.'  But  she  replied,  'I  now 
feel  quite  easy,  but  I  cannot  rest  and  know  that  you  are  not 
resting,  when  you  are  so  weary.'  My  sister  left  the  room, 
and  I  fixed  me  a  place  to  lie  down  out  of  mother's  sight,  and 
hid  the  light  behind  the  fire-board.  I  had  scarcely  laid  down 
when  the  room  become  as  light  as  day.  I  could  see  all  the 
furniture  plainly,  and  the  texture  and  stitches  of  the  bedding 
that  wras  spread  over  me." 

"But  were  you  not  dreaming?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"No,"  she  replied,  "that  could  not  be,  for  I  thought  of 
that,  and  I  arose,  and  felt  of  myself,  and  tried  various  expedi- 
ents to  assure  myself  of  the  truth  of  the  matter.  I  finally 
turned  and  looked  at  the  bed  where  mother  was,  when  I  saw 
a  crowd  of  angels  hovering  over  her,  with  most  heavenly 
faces.  They  were  looking  most  intently  toward  where  I 
knew  mother's  face  was.  I  gazed,  and  wondered  that  I  felt 
no  fear.  Thus  I  continued,  until  I  finally  thought,  'I  must 
have  some  sleep,  and  will  now  lie  down.'  But  the  instant  I 
closed  my  eyes,  my  mother  called  me.  .1  sprang  up  and  ran 


152  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIKLD. 

to  her  side.  Daylight  had  come,  and  as  I  approached  her,  she 
raised  her  hands  and  said,  'Oh,  what  a  night  I  have  had !' 

"'Why,  mother,'  I  asked,  'were  you  in  pain?  Why  did 
you  not  call  me?  I  did  not  leave  the  room.' 

'"Oh,  no!  daughter,'  she  said,  'I  was  in  no  pain,  but  as 
soon  as  you  left  me,  the  angels  came  and  staid  with  me  all 
night.'  The  family  were  now  called  at  her  request; she  gave 
them  her  last  charge,  and  then  passed  away." 

Sister  Palmer  then  related  a  circumstance  of  interest  con- 
cerning a  young  lady  of  deep  piety ;  who,  with  those  around 
her  when  she  was  dying,  heard  most  delightful  music  over 
their  heads;  and  what  was  more  strange,  when  the  funeral  pro- 
cession was  on  the  way  to  the  grave  the  same  music  attended 
them,  and  returned  with  the  family  to  the  house.  For 
months  afterwards,  it  was  occasionally  heard  over  the  place 
where  she  died. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

As  MR.  REDFIELD'S  health  began  to  improve,  he  entered 
the  evangelistic  field  again.  He  was  now  more  hopeful  than 
ever  before  that  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  which 
he  belonged,  would  have  her  commission  renewed  "to  spread 
scriptural  holiness  over  these  lands."  His  views  of  the  doc- 
trine and  the  experience,  and  his  methods  of  advancing  them, 
had  undergone  a  new  test  to  him — a  thorough  and  solemn 
review  on  the  brink  of  eternity.  He  now  entered  the  field 
with  stronger  faith,  and  courage,  and  determinations  than 
ever.  Several  ministers  of  prominence  and  promise  had  en- 
tered into  the  experience  and  were  clearly  and  boldly  teach- 
ing it  to  their  people,  and  the  blessed  fruit  of  it,  in  the  con- 
version of  sinners  and  the  sanctification  of  believers,  was 
gloriously  manifest.  He  was  now  invited  by  one  of  these 
ministers  to  come  to  his  assistance.  A  protracted  meeting 
had  been  in  progress  for  some  time,  and  a  goodly  number 
had  been  converted.  All  at  once  the  work  stopped.  Mr. 
Redfield  immediately  was  in  an  agony,  not  knowing  the 
cause.  He  resorted  to  prayer  as  usual  at  such  times,  and  one 
night  in  church,  while  thus  engaged,  his  distress  was  almost 
unendurable.  He  afterwards  thought  he  ought  to  have 
given  vent  to  his  feelings  before  the  people,  but  instead  of 
that,  he  deliberately  cast  it  off.  As  he  did  so  the  impression 
came  very  strongly  to  him,  "Let  them  alone ;"  and  then  he 
had  such  a  view  of  their  desolation,  and  being  forsaken  of 
God,  and  of  their  being  visited  by  death,  that  he  could  but 
pray  it  out  before  the  people.  He  left  the  place,  but  meet- 
ing with  the  pastor  some  time  afterwards,  he  was  informed 
that  a  peculiar  disease  broke  out  among  the  people  after 
the  meeting  closed,  and  many  were  swept  into  eternity.  The 
minister  also  informed  him  that  one  cause  of  the  revival  be- 
ing checked  had  come  out,  and  that  was  the  banding  together 
of  a  large  number  of  young  men  to  resist  it. 

(158) 


154  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Again  he  was  invited  to  a  place  where  he  had  been  before, 
and  was  assured  by  the  Lord  that  it  was  not  his  will  for  him 
to  labor  there.  But  the  correspondence  opened  the  way  for 
him  to  go  to  another  place  where  Methodism  had  never  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  a  footing.  Here  he  experienced  much  op- 
position from  other  churches.  It  was  about  ten  miles  from 
G —  -  (probably  Goshen).  There  was  one  church  in  the 
place  occupied  by  a  bigoted  old  minister  who  claimed  the 
ground  as  a  sort  of  a  parish.  He  had  another  flock  about 
three  miles  east,  and  still  another  about  five  miles  in  another 
direction,  to  whom  he  preached  about  twice  a  year,  besides 
attending  their  weddings  and  funerals.  A  short  time  before 
Mr.  Redfield's  visit,  a  Methodist  man  attempted  to  hold  a 
prayer  meeting  in  the  village  school-house,  but  so  great 
was  the  opposition  that  the  doors  were  nailed  up  so  he  could 
not  get  in.  When  Mr.  Redfield  arrived  he  found  an  Epis- 
copalian lady  who  knew  something  of  the  power  of  salvation, 
and  she  invited  him  to  make  her  house  his  home.  Her  hus- 
band was  an  infidel,  and  apparently  made  so  by  the  unholy 
tvpe  of  religion  he  saw  about  him.  The  school-house  was 
now  open  and  Mr.  Redfield  gave  out  an  appointment  to 
preach  in  the  evening,  and  though  the  weather  was  severe  the 
people  came  in  large  numbers.  The  women  kept  closely 
veiled,  or  stood  outside  and  looked  in  at  the  windows,  and 
he  had  to  do  his  own  singing  and  praying.  He  commenced 
a  regular  visitation  of  the  people  from  house  to  house.  As 
an  illustration  of  his  reception  he  records  the  following  as 
having  occurred  in  the  house  of  Deacon  —  — : 

"  'Good  morning,  Deacon.     How  are  you   prospering   in 
the  way  to  heaven?'  I  inquired. 

"'We  don't  want  any  of  your  fanaticism  here,'    was   the 
answer. 

'"But  I  suppose  you  love  God,  and  his  ways?' 

"'I  tell  you,  we  don't  want  any  elements  of  discord  intro- 
duced here.' 


VISITING  FROM  HOUSE  TO  HOUSE.  155 

"'I  suppose  you  have  often  prayed  for  the  salvation  of  your 
children  ?' 

"  'Yes,  sir;  I  have.' 

"  'Well,  suppose  we  pray  for  them  now.' 

"'You  are  not  wanted  here,  sir;  we  want  none  of  your 
disturbance,  for  we  are  all  at  peace  now.' 

"  'But,  Deacon,  I  think  we  will  pray  for  your  children 
now.' 

"  'I  want  you  to  leave  my  house.' 

"  'Well,  but  I  think  I  will  pray  first.' 

"So  down  on  my  knees  I  went,  and  prayed  for  the  old 
man  and  his  family;  and  then  went  on  to  another  deacon's 
house.  I  found  him  alone.  His  face  was  white  with  rage. 
I  tried  to  draw  him  into  religious  conversation,  but  he  would 
not  answer  me.  After  a  long  and  fruitless  effort  to  get  him  to 
say  something,  I  at  last  asked  to  pray  with  him  before  I  left. 
'Pray  if  you  have  a  mind  to,'  was  his  short  and  gruff  reply. 
I  needed  no  further  invitation,  and  I  knelt  down  and  thanked 
God  for  the  kind  and  Christian  deportment  of  the  deacon 
who  was  so  willing  to  let  me  pray  in  his  house.  The  next 
day  the  deacon  was  in  the  school-house,  and  as  soon  as 
there  was  an  opportunity  he  arose  and  asked  the  privilege  of 
speaking.  I  gave  him  permission,  and  he  proceeded  to  tell 
the  congregation  that  I  was  at  his  house  the  day  before; 
how  mad  he  was  at  the  sight  of  me;  how  roughly  he  treated 
me;  and  how  I  prayed  for  him  like  a  Christian.  'But,'  said 
he,  'after  Mr.  Redfield  was  gone  I  began  to  reflect,  and 
when  night  came,  I  went  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep;  for  I  could 
not.  Finally  my  agony  of  mind  was  so  great  that  I  got  up 
and  knelt  down  before  the  Lord.  It  seemed  to  me  I  should 
die  before  morning,  and  I  dared  not  sleep.  I  remained  all 
night  upon  my  knees  praying  for  my  soul,  and  about  day- 
break God  spoke  peace  to  me,  and  now  I  have  got  religion.' 

"This  testimony  took  hold  upon  the  congregation  with 
great  power." 


156  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

Concerning  his  method  of  work  in  this  place,  Mr.  Red- 
field  continues:  "I  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  put  any 
great  task  or  cross  upon  the  people,  such  as  coming  to  any 
particular  place  or  bench.  I  could  discern  by  their  manner 
those  who  were  sufficiently  awakened  to  make  the  right 
move.  So  I  asked,  simply,  that  all  who  desired  to  be  saved 
to  stand  up.  The  work  soon  broke  out  in  great  power. 

"An  old  lady  sent  for  me  one  day,  whose  two  (laughters 
had  been  very  clearly  saved,  and  whose  bright  testimonies 
had  put  the  old  lady's  hope  in  the  shade.  When  I  reached 
the  house  and  was  introduced  to  her,  I  saw  her  face  was 
the  picture  of  despair.  With  great  emotion  she  said,  'O  sir, 
my  daughters  tell  me  they  know  their  sins  are  forgiven, 
and  that  they  know  they  are  the  children  of  God; 
and  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  myself.'  Not  to 
shock  her  too  badly,  I  thought  best  to  accommodate  my  lan- 
guage to  her  by  the  use  of  the  terms  in  which  her  church 
was  accustomed  to  speak'of  religious  states  of  mind.  So  I 
replied:  'I  suppose,  madam,  that  you  already  entertain  a  hope.' 

" 'Oh,  no!'  said  she  with  evident  horror;  'I  would  not 
dare  to  be  so  presumptuous;'  and  then  in  a  nervous,  senten- 
tious manner,  she  said, 'I — do — think — I — can — say — that — I 
have — a — desire — that  I — might  have — *a  hope.' 

"This  is  a  type  of  most  of  what  passed  for  religious  ex- 
perience in  this  place. 

"I  found  one,  however,  who  knew  the  power  of  salvation. 
She  was  in  the  last  stages  of  the  asthma,  and  in  great  suffer- 
ing from  suffocation.  Her  minister  had  been  sent  for  to  visit 
her,  but  he  did  not  come.  When  I  entered  her  room  I  was 
greatly  moved  to  see  her  gasping  for  breath.  As  she  could 
not  lie  down,  she  was  bolstered  up  in  the  bed;  her  face  was 
swollen,  her  breathing  very  short  and  labored,  and  her  voice 
could  be  heard  but  a  few  feet  from  her.  Her  sister,  with  her 
ear  to  the  sick  woman's  lips,  could  catch  the  answers  to  my 
questions  and  repeat  them  to  me.  I  asked  her  if  she  found 


THE  PEOPLE  WARNED  AGAINST  HIM.  157 

religion  a  satisfying  portion  in  the  midst  of  such  great 
distress. 

"She  answered:  'I  am  so  filled  with  comfort  and  joy  that 
if  this  agony  of  dying  is  to  be  forever  I  am  perfectly  content 
and  happy.' 

"I  went  to  the  afternoon  meeting,  and  there  saw  the  min- 
ister, who  had  been  persuaded  to  come  and  give  this  poor 
flock  an  extra  sermon.  He  was  about  opening  the  services, 
so  I  took  my  seat  and  listened.  After  a  formal  opening,  he 
began  his  serrnon  by  stating  that  he  was  set  for  the  defense 
of  the  gospel,  and  while  he  was  upon  the  walls  of  Zion  he 
must  protect  his  flock  from  ravening  wolves.  He  then 
opened  his  batteries  on  John  Wesley  and  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  warned  his  people  to  keep  clear  of  them,  and 
not  to  forsake  the  religion  of  their  fathers.  He  then,  in  sub- 
stance, told  them  that  he  would  relate  to  them  what  he  had 
read  in  a  New  York  paper.  ( I  had  read  the  same  and  knew 
what  was  coming.)  'But,'  said  he,  'I  shall  not  call  names.' 
He  then  proceeded  to  say :  'A  man  came  from  New  York  to 
a  village  about  thirty  miles  from  there,  and  told  the  people 
that  they  had  the  devil  in  them,  and  they  must  take  an 
emetic  which  he  had  prepared  for  them,  and  vomit  him  up. 
But  I  am  not  going  to  speak  his  name  now.  Well,  he  got 
some  to  take  it,  and  it  was  found  that  they  would  die,  and  the 
constable  was  after  this  man,  but  I  shall  call  no  names.' 

"The  meeting  closed,  and  one  of  the  principal  men  in 
the  place  said  to  the  minister:  'You  had  better  stay  to  the 

meeting  to-night,  Mr.  E ,  and  hear  this  man  preach, 

and  see  if  you  have  treated  him  just  right.' 

"  'No,'  said  the  minister,  'I  cannot  stay  with  you.' 

'"But  you  have  implied  some  very  hard  things  against 
Mr.  Redfield,  and  I  think  it  no  more  than  right  that  you 
should  be  at  some  pains  to  learn  what  you  evidently  know 
nothing  about.' 

"But  away  he  went.     One  of  his  members  approached 


158  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

me  and  said:  'Mr.  Redfield,  I  have  hated  the  very  sight  of 
you;  and  when  I  saw  you  passing  along  the  street  it  has 
been  with  difficulty  that  I  could  refrain  from  whipping  you. 
But  I  won't  see  you  so  abused.  And  if  you  will  build  a 
Methodist  Church  here  I'll  give  you  fifty  dollars.'  Another 
immediately  said:  'I'll  give  you  a  lot.'  And  still  another: 
'Til  give  fifteen  dollars.'  And  so  it  went  on,  and  in  a 
short  time  we  had  a  church  erected  and  dedicated,  and  the 
last  I  heard  from  the  place  they  had  a  flourishing  Methodist 
circuit  there.  The  minister's  opposition  laid  the  foundation 
for  three  new  churches  and  built  one,  and  made  a  good  ap- 
pointment for  a  preacher,  and  has  been  regularly  supplied 
from  conference  ever  since."  (1863.) 

Soon  after  the  close  of  these  labors  Mr.  Redfield  attended 
a  camp  meeting  where  he  met  many  of  the  preachers  who  had 
promised  him  to  stand  by  the  work  of  holiness;  but  he  found 
they  had  backed  down  and  did  not  know  it.  They  took 
him  one  side  to  counsel  with  him.  They  said:  "Brother  Red- 
field,  you  know  that  everywhere  you  go  revivals  break  out 
in  great  power,  and  the  people  are  converted  by  the  hundred 
and  sometimes  by  the  thousand." 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "I  know  it,  and  I  know  too  that  it  is  but 
the  legitimate  workings  of  holiness  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people." 

"Well,  well,"  said  one,  "that  is  all  granted;  but,  Brother 
Redfield,  are  you  willing  to  take  advice?" 

"Most  certainly,  if  it  is  good." 

"Well,  now  if  you  could  adopt  any  way  by  which  thou- 
sands would  be  converted  where  now  you  see  only  hun- 
dreds,"— 

"Most  gladly  do  I  desire  to  do  all  I  can." 

"Well,"  said  he,  and  the  rest  all  concurred  in  it,  "if  you 
will  not  say  so  much  about  'holiness,'  'perfect  love,' and  'sanc- 
tification,'  and  not  press  any  one  up  to  these  things,  for  that 
makes  many  people  mad,  and  many  of  our  preachers  afraid 


ADOPTS  OTHERS,  COUNSEL.  159 

of  you;  some  say  you  can  never  do  good  enough  to  over- 
balance the  harm  you  have  already  done;  and  you  get  so 
many  prejudiced  against  yourself,  and  it  must  be  very 
uncomfortable  for  you  to  have  to  meet  so  many  prejudices,"- 

"Well,  what  would  you  have  me  do?"  said  Mr.  Redfield. 

"We  would  have  you  cease  to  use  these  terms  which 
arouse  the  prejudices  of  some,  and,  Brother  Redfield,  you  can 
preach  up  Bible  religion  as  high  as  the  Bible  warrants,  but 
drop  the  objectionable  terms." 

One  of  the  preachers  then  said:  "I  am  pastor  of  the 

church  in ,  where  the  people  were  so  offended  at  you 

that  they  would  not  let  you  stay;  but  I  have  preached  the 
doctrine  of  holiness  up  very  strong,  and  have  done  it  so  cau- 
tiously, that  no  one  knew  what  I  was  preaching  about. 
And  they  have  endorsed  it;  and  now  they  are  willing  to  have 
you  come  back."  (Mr.  Redfield  says:  "I  afterwards  went 
back,  and  found  them  worse  than  before.") 

In  speaking  of  this  advice,  he  says:  "It  was  just  the 
thing  to  take  with  me,  I  thought.  What  a  Godsend  that 
these  brethren  have  helped  me  out  of  all  my  difficulties !  I 
do  find,  certainly,  all  the  opposition  I  can  stand  under.  I  am 
willing  to  work  without  fee  or  charge,  but  my  nature  shrinks 
when  called  unflinchingly  to  stand  for  God,  and  either  in 
word  or  tacitly  tell  the  time-serving  preacher  that  he  is  the 
enemy  of  God.  I  don't  ask  any  office  in  the  church  higher 
than  that  of  a  local  preacher,  but  I  dare  not  do  otherwise 
than  take  that.  But  now  I  have  found  an  easier  way  appar- 
ently, and  a  way  to  accomplish  much  more  for  God;  a  way 
to  be  for  once  and  forever  free  from  slanders  and  misunder- 
standings which  follow  me  all  over  the  land.  So  out  I 
went  as  soon  as  the  season  for  protracted  meetings  began,  and 
attempted  to  preach  the  best  I  knew  how,  and  yet  avoid  the 
objectionable  terms.  But  I  found  my  power  with  God  and 
man  was  gone.  Two  or  more  weeks  resulted  in  but  one  per- 
son being  moved,  and  she  so  slightly  that  she  did  not  stand 


160  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIKLD. 

a  week.  Well,  thought  I,  my  mission  is  ended,  and  God  has 
got  through  with  me.  So  I  can  now  go  home  and  attend  to 
business,  and  bid  farewell  to  this  rough,  toilsome  and  heart- 
aching  cause.  How  good  it  will  be  to  feel  once  more  that  I 
am  not  an  Ishmaelite,  with  my  hand  against  every  man,  and 
every  man's  hand  against  me.  But  before  I  leave  the  field 
I'll  take  counsel  of  some  good  man.  In  casting  about  for  some 
one  to  give  me  that  counsel,!  thought  of  a  pious  old  colored 
man  who,  I  thought,  would  be  unprejudiced  in  every  way. 
I  went  to  his  home  and  took  him  out  into  a  grove,  and  told 
him  all  my  experience  in  holiness;  about  my  labors;  how 
God  had  manifested  himself  in  saving  souls  through  me, 
when  the  doctrine  of  holiness  was  preached.  I  then  told  him 
that  my  mission  with  the  great  power  God  had  given  me  was 
gone,  and  that  I  thought  God  was  done  with  me. 

"  'My  brother,'  said  the  old  man,  'haint  you  nebber  com- 
permised?' 

"'Compromised?'  said  I, 'why,  no!  I  would  as  soon  cut 
off  my  arm!  I  dare  not  do  that.'  But  recollecting  myself,  I 
said:  *I  have  been  counseled  by  some  good  preachers  to 
avoid  the  use  of  the  terms,  perfect  love,  sanctification,  holi- 
ness, etc.,  because  the  people's  prejudices  were  so  strong 
against  it  that  they  became  angry  at  me  and  I  could  not  do 
them  the  good  I  desired.  But  I  try  to  preach  the  Bible  truth 
as  high  as  ever.' 

"  'Dat  is  it.  Dare  is  just  where  de  trubbol  lie.  Now 
what  God  call  sanctification,  you  no  bizness  to  call  anysin 
else.  It  isn't  you  de  people  hates;  't  is  de  Lor'.' 

"God  so  let  the  light  shine  through  this  old  black  diamond 
that  I  saw  there  was  the  very  place  where  I  lost  my  mission 
and  power;  and  I  said:  'I'll  go  right  back  and  preach  these 
doctrines  right  in  the  notch  where  I  used  to,  and  in  the  mean- 
time seek  my  power  over  again.'  But  scarcely  had  I  touched 
the  old  key  before  the  power  came.  God  had  not  condemned, 
but  dropped  me,  that  I  might  learn  this  lesson,  that  we  must 
follow  him  in  all  things,' great  and  small." 


A  MINSTER  THREATENS  VIOLENCE.  161 

He  now  went  to  a  place  where  the  parish  minister  not 
only  cautioned  his  people  against  him,  but  brought  to  light 
an  old  law  which  gave  him  authority  over  the  people,  even 
to  the  use  of  the  rod  on  minors,  and  he  threatened  to  use  it  if 
they  did  not  stay  away  from  the  meetings.  This  moved  the 
hearts  of  the  people  in  the  right  direction,  and  a  Methodist 
church  was  built  and  supplied  with  preaching  as  the  result. 

He  then  went  to  the  place  where  the  preacher  had  won 
the  people  over  to  love  holiness  by  preaching  it  in  such  a 
guise  that  they  did  not  know  what  he  was  at.  But  Mr.  Red- 
field  found  the  state  of  affairs  bad  enough.  There  again,  he 
had  one  of  his  awful  burdens.  He  thought  he  must  be  faint- 
ing away,  and  went  to  a  window  and  raised  it,  and  when  he 
found  the  fresh  air  did  not  help  him,  he  knew  it  was  a  bur- 
den. But  so  intense  was  his  agony  that  he  thought  he  could 
not  endure  it,  when  the  suggestion  came:  "Cast  thy  burden 
on  the  Lord."  He  knelt  down,  and  gave  vent  to  his  feel- 
ings in  sobs  and  groans  and  tears.  The  burden  passed  away,  and 
as  it  did  so  left  him  with  the  feeling  that  God  had  withdrawn 
from  the  place,  and  his  labors  there  were  at  an  end.  This 
proved  to  be  true,  and  he  left. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MR.  REDFIELD  was  next  called  to  visit  Middletown, 
Conn.,  the  scat.of  a  Methodist  university. 

Referring  to  his  call  to  this  field  of  labor,  he  says:  "My 
heart  dreaded  the  conflict  which  I  knew  must  follow  if  I  did 
not  lower  the  standard  of  gospel  truth,  unless  there  were 
those  who  would  take  a  stand  for  God.  But  I  had  promised 
to  go,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  meet  the  worst." 

Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts,  now  General  Superintendent  of  the 
Free  Methodist  Church,  but  who,  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Red- 
field's  labors  in  Middletown,  was  a  student  in  the  university, 
describes  the  state  of  the  work  there  at  that  time  as  follows: 

"The  state  of  religion  in  the  church  was  extremely  low. 
Professing  Christians  were  chiefly  distinguished  for  their 
conformity  to  the  world.  The  Methodists  had  ceased  to  be 
persecuted,  and  were  fast  becoming  a  proud  and  fashionable 
people.  In  the  university,  intellectual  rivalry  had  well  nigh 
supplanted  zeal  for  the  cause  of  God.  But  a  small  propor- 
tion of  the  students  professed  religion,  and  these  exhibited 
but  too  little  of  the  power  of  godliness.  Dr.  Redfield's 
preaching  created  a  profound  sensation.  His  deep-toned 
piety,  hia  fervent,  moving  appeals  to  the  throne  of  grace, 
and  his  unearthly,  overpowering  eloquence  disarmed  criti- 
cism, even  in  that  congregation  of  critics,  and  prepared  the 
way  for  the  reception  of  the  truths  he  uttered.  Had  he  low- 
ered the  standard  to  suit  the  pride  and  prejudices  of  his  hear- 
ers, his  popularity  would  have  been  unbounded.  He  insisted 
upon  the  Bible  standard  of  entire  conformity  to  the  will  of 
God  in  all  things.  The  church  was  crowded,  and  the  people 
seemed  amazed.  Such  exhibitions  of  truth  they  had  never  list- 
ened to  before.  It  was  for  some  time  doubtful  how  the  scale 


WORK    AT    MlDDLETOWN,    CONN.  163 

would  turn.  Dr.  Olin  heard  of  the  commotion.  He  was 
unwilling  to  take  the  representations  of  any  one,  but  arose 
from  a  sick-bed  and  went  and  heard  for  himself.  His  majes- 
tic intellect  and  deep  experience  in  the  things  of  God  could 
not  easily  be  imposed  upon;  and  a  candid  hearing  satisfied 
him  both  of  the  sincerity  and  soundness  of  the  preacher. 
'This,  brethren,'  said  he,  'is  Methodism,  and  you  must  stand 
by  it.'  His  word  was  law.  The  faculty,  the  official  mem- 
bers, and  the  church  received  and  endorsed  the  truth.  Such 
a  work  of  God  as  followed  we  never  witnessed.  Professors 
in  the  college,  men  of  outwardly  blameless  lives,  saw  they 
were  not  right  with  God,  frankly  confessed  it,  and,  laying 
aside  their  official  dignity,  went  forward  for  prayers.  The 
city  and  adjoining  country  were  moved  as  by  the  breath  of 
the  Lord.  For  some  eight  or  ten  weeks  the  altar  was 
crowded  with  penitents,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  corning  for- 
ward at  a  time.  The  conversions  were  generally  clear  and 
powerful.  Dr.  Olin  seconded  the  effort  in  the  university, 
and  went  beyond  his  strength  in  exhorting  the  students  and 
praying  with  them.  This  great  man  never  seemed  so  great 
as  in  prayer.  Then  he  seemed  clothed  with  the 
"'Awful  majesty  of  man 
Who  talketh  often  with  his  God.' 

"  Nearly  all  the  young  men  in  the  college  were  converted, 
and  of  the  converts  a  large  number  became  ministers  of  the 
gospel.  The  fruits  of  the  revival  remain,  and  have  been  mul- 
tiplying ever  since." 

More  than  three  hundred  were  converted  at  the  church. 
At  the  same  time  the  work  was  going  gloriously  forward  in 
the  college.  The  tutors  who  had  experienced  entire  sancti- 
fication  entered  into  it  heart  and  soul.  At  first  a  band  of 
them  met  together  and  united  in  praying  for  such  students  as 
they  thought  were  leaders  of  influence  and  mischief.  At 
these  times  they  would  hold  on  until  they  thought  they  had 
received  an  answer.  The  first  time  they  met  thus,  the  young 


164  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

man  for  whom  they  were  praying  went  running  and  rollicking 
through  the  halls  as  though  he  was  possessed  by  evil  spirits. 
They  took  this  as  an  indication  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
striving  with  him  and  held  on.  The  next  night  the  young 
man  was  converted  at  the  church.  They  then  informed  him 
of  their  especial  season  of  prayer  for  him;  and  asked  him  to 
unite  with  them  in  the  same  work  for  others.  They  selected 
another,  and  he  soon  was  converted.  They  then  divided  into 
two  bands  and  held  meetings  in  separate  rooms.  A  remarkable 
feature  of  the  work  was  that  the  conversions  took  place  in 
the  order  in  which  they  selected  these  subjects  of  prayer.  Their 
method  and  success  became  known,  and  had  such  an  influ- 
ence that  a  student  went  to  one  of  these  praying  bands  one 
day  and  asked,  "Have  you  got  my  name  on  your  list?" 
On  being  told  that  they  had,  he  said,  "Well,  I  thought  you 
must  have,  from  my  feelings;  and  I  may  as  well  give  up  now." 
In  a  few  minutes  he  was  converted,  and  that  night  in  the 
church  told  what  great  things  the  Lord  had  done  for  him. 

President  Olin  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  work,  and 
though  in  ill-health,  he  undertook  to  give  a  ten-minutes  talk 
to  the  students  in  a  large  recitation  room  one  day,  but  the 
minutes  swelled  into  hours;  and  the  speech  was  afterward 
published  as  one  of  his  great  intellectual  efforts.  The  result 
of  the  revival  in  the  city  and  at  the  college,  all  together,  was 
nearly  four  hundred  conversions.  Twenty-six  of  the  college 
students  became  ministers  of  the  gospel.  Here  the  sainted 
William  C.  Kendall  learned  the  art  of  soul  saving,  and  went 
from  here  to  preach  the  same  gospel  for  a  short  season  with 
great  success.  His  was  a  short  but  a  shining  track.  He  too 
found  himself  much  opposed,  for  daring  to  stand  for  the 
right. 

Such  was  the  success  of  this  meeting,  and  the  glorious 
stand  taken  by  President  Olin  and  his  faculty,  that  Mr. 
Redficld  began  to  hope  again  for  the  cause  of  holiness  in  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  felt  sure  that  such  an  endorsement 


WORK  IN  NEW  JERSEY.  165 

would  silence  opposers  and  give  that  doctrine  the  right  of 
way  through  the  land. 

Mr.  Redfield  was  now  invited  to  a  church  in  New  Jersey 
to  spend  a  Sabbath.  He  arrived  on  Saturday  night,  but  did 
not  enter  the  church  until  Sunday  morning.  The  pastor  was 
to  be  in  New  York  over  Sunday,  and  requested  Mr.  Redfield 
to  fill  the  pulpit  for  him  both  morning  and  evening.  He 
was  careful,  also,  to  request  that  he  would  not  present  the 
subject  of  holiness  that  day.  When  Mr.  Redfield  entered 
the  church  he  thought  he  understood  the  reason  why  the 
pastor  had  made  such  a  request.  The  church  was  new,  and 
had  been  ornamented  in  the  highest  and  most  costly  manner. 

"I  felt,"  says  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  must  do  my  duty,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  results.  But  I  felt  sure  the  people  would  not 
endure  it;  and  in  all  probability  I  would  have  to  find  shelter 
in  a  tavern  over  night.  I  took  the  money  I  had  from  my 
pocket  to  assure  myself  that  I  had  enough  to  pay 'my  fare. 
When  I  saw  that  I  had  enough,  I  was  at  rest,  and  resolved 
the  people  should  hear  holiness  for  once.  I  went  through 
regardless  of  consequences,  and  when  the  service  closed  I 
met  some  in  the  aisles  who  grasped  my  hand  and  said: 
'Brother,  I  believe  in  holiness,  and  mean  to  have  it.'" 

He  went  to  a  prominent  city  in  the  same  state  to  hold 
meetings.  He  preached  on  his  usual  theme,  and  God  responded 
in  power.  The  people  often  fell  from  their  seats  to  the  floor 
while  he  was  preaching.  But  he  soon  found  the  preacher 
very  much  afraid  of  holiness. 

Here,  he  again  was  asked  in  regard  to  his  family.  He 
told  the  inquirer  that  it  was  a  matter  he  disliked  to  talk  about, 
but  that  only  made  the  matter  worse.  At  last  he  was  obliged 
to  ask  that  he  might  meet  two  of  the  presiding  elders,  to 
whom  he  could  tell  the  whole  story.  His  request  was  granted, 
and  they  coincided  with  his  view  of  the  matter,  that  silence 
in  regard  to  it  was  his  best  course.  But  from  this  on  the 

matter  grew  worse  and  worse,  until  after  counsel  and  advice 
13 


166  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

he  put  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  a  lawyer  and  obtained  a 
divorce.  Mr.  Redfield  had  not  seen  nor  heard  directly  from 
her  for  over  five  years,  but  had  heard  rumors  of  her  death 
several  times. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

MR.  REDFIELD,  about  this  time,  met  with  opposition  from 
the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  society  where  he  held  his  mem- 
bership. The  issue  was  made  on  his  license,  the  preacher 
taking  the  position  that  he  should  belong  to  the  society  where 
he  labored.  This  was  done  on  the  floor  of  the  quarterly 
conference.  Mr.  Redfield  replied  to  this  that  it  would  be 
very  inconvenient  for  him  to  do  so,  as  he  staid  but  from 
four  to  five  weeks  in  a  place.  The  preacher  was  insisting 
upon  it  and  crowding  the  quarterly  conference  to  refuse 
the  renewal  of  his  license,  when  the  presiding  elder,  Dr. 
Heman  Bangs,  came  to  Mr.  Redfield's  relief  by  saying: 
"Brother  Redfield  is  a  very  useful  man,  and  he  must  have  his 
standing,  somewhere,  and  if  he  wishes  it  he  must  have  it 
here.  Let  his  license  be  renewed."  It  was  done,  and  Mr.  Red- 
field  went  on  his  way,  but  with  a  sore  heart.  In  speaking  of 
it,  he  says:  "If  these  men  only  knew  what  it  costs  me  in  my 
feelings  to  go  without  home,  and  face  the  constant  apprehen- 
sion that  the  misfortune  of  my  family  affairs  may  be  taken 
advantage  of  by  my  enemies  to  destroy  my  influence,  while 
my  friends  are  more  or  less  perplexed  about  it  until  they 
understand  all,  it  seems  to  me  they  would  not  try  to  make 
my  way  harder  than  it  is." 

He  could  but  observe  that  the  men  who  were  engaged  in 
this  opposition  were  not  the  spiritual  men,  nor  the  revival- 
ists, but  those  who  were  laboring  to 'make  the  church  take 
rank  in  culture,  splendor  and  influence  with  other  churches. 
They  could  but  see  that  the  preaching  and  experience  of  holi- 
ness were  attended  with  a  renunciation  of  earthly  pomp  and 
glory  that  was  fatal  to  what  they  were  struggling  for.  They 
also  saw  that  where  the  doctrine  and  experience  of  holiness 
obtained  a  footing  there  were  marked  indications  of  utter 
abandonment  to  what  was  supposed  to  be  the  divine  will, 

(167) 


168  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

and  demonstrations  of  great  joy  at  the  consciousness  of  the 
divine  approval.  This  was  attended  by  more  or  less  of 
reproach,  and  all  was  fatal  to  their  worldly  ambition.  It  was 
doubtless  true  that  these  men  were  blinded  by  their  own 
desires  and  prejudices;  but  this  was  not  strange.  It  has  bten 
the  case  in  all  ages  of  the  church.  Caiaphas  was  misled  in 
like  manner  as  to  what  should  be  done  with  Jesus. 

One  marked  feature  of  the  holiness  revival  was  that  the 
churches  were  filled  with  the  poor,  who  gladly  listened  to 
truths  from  which  the  proud  turned  away.  Again,  the  thor- 
ough renunciation  of  worldliness  and  sin  that  holiness  requires 
brought  such  a  cloud  of  reproach  upon  those  who  preached 
and  professed  it  as  none  but  the  truly  consecrated  could 
endure.  This  has  in  all  ages  saved  the  church  of  God  from 
sinking  into  utter  worldliness  and  degeneracy.  Once  make 
Christianity  acceptable  to  depraved  human  nature,  and  men 
will  embrace  and  profess  it  without  regeneration. 

Mr.  Redfield  at  this  time  busied  himself  during  the  sum- 
mer in  earning  the  means  by  which  he  could  pay  his  expenses 
during  the  revival  season.  His  laboring  without  fee  made 
it  possible  for  him  to  get  into  places  where  otherwise  he  could 
not  have  gained  admission. 

About  this  time  he  was  invited  to  go  to  the  assistance  of 
Caleb  Lippincott,  a  preacher  of  the  primitive  stamp,  and  one 
of  the  most  successful  in  the  church.  Mr.  Redfield  now 
thought,  as  he  had  found  a  preacher  who  was  not  afraid  of 
the  power  of  God,  they  would  see  a  glorious  work.  But  he 
found  that  the  enemy  was  still  upon  his  track,  and  had  more 
than  one  way  to  wage  war  upon  him.  The  Universalists 
here  became  the  agency  to  humiliate  him.  God  soon  began 
to  pour  out  his  Spirit  in  a  remarkable  manner,  and  many  had 
been  added  to  the  church.  Among  these  were  some  prom- 
ising young  people  from  among  the  Hicksite  Friends.  One 
night  an  old  lady,  whose  daughter  had  just  been  converted, 
became  so  enraged  that  she  broke  out  in  the  meeting  in 


SLANDERED  BY  A  PAPER.  169 

denunciations  of  all  about  her.  In  a  loud  voice  and  with 
violent  gestures  she  said,  "I  don't  like  this  at  all.  I  am  mad 
at  you."  In  the  night,  at  her  home,  she  became  so  distressed 
in  mind  that  she  sent  for  some  of  the  religious  women  to 
come  and  pray  with  her.  She  surrendered  to  the  Lord  and 
was  gloriously  saved.  Her  first  utterance  after  the  assurance 
of  salvation  came  was,  "Oh,  how  I  love  everybody!"  The 
work  went  on  in  great  power  for  some  time.  The  house 
was  crowded  with  people  and  the  altar  with  seekers.  All  at 
once,  Mr.  Redfield  noticed  a  falling  off  of  the  congregation, 
which  continued  until  the  attendance  was  so  small  and  the 
interest  so  low  that  he  concluded  that  his  work  in  that  place 
was  done.  His  next  appointment  was  but  fourteen  miles 
away,  and  he  procured  a  conveyance  and  drove  to  the  place. 
This  was  on  Tuesday.  When  he  arrived,  the  minister  with 
whom  he  expected  to  labor  told  him  that  the  meeting  was 
advertised  to  commence  the  next  Sunday.  Mr.  Redfield 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  four  days'  idleness,  so  he 
returned  to  the  place  he  had  left.  During  his  absence  that 
day  the' secret  of  the  decline  of  the  meetings  came  out.  A 
Universalist  paper  had  been  circulated  in  the  community  in 
which  Mr.  Redfield  had  been  published  as  a  notorious  villain, 
connected  withjohn  Newell  Maffit,  the  noted  evangelist,  who 
was  at  that  time  under  a  cloud  of  dishonor.  Of  the  matter 
charged  in  this  paper  Mr.  Redfield  had  never  heard.  It  was 
also  charged  against  him  that  he  was  making  the  revival 
meetings  he  held  a  matter  of  gain  in  money  and  fame.  As 
soon  as  he  had  read  the  article  he  determined  to  meet  it  with 
a  public  statement.  That  evening  in  the  pulpit,  before 
preaching,  he  made  a  statement  of  what  had  been  published, 
and  said  to  those  present,  "  When  the  congregation  is  large 
enough,  I'll  tell  you  something  worth  two  of  this."  The 
next  night  the  congregation  was  greatly  increased,  to  which 
he  made  a  similar  statement;  and  again,  in  like  manner,  the 
third  evening. 


170  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

On  the  fourth  evening  the  house  was  crowded,  and  a 
great  many  stood  outside  around  the  open  windows.  When 
he  arose,  he  said,  "I  will  now  tell  you  my  story."  He  pref- 
aced it  by  reading  the  newspaper  item ;  and  then  proceeded 
to  say,  "Of  this  matter  in  regard  to  Mr.  Maffit,  I  can  say, 
first,  I  am  able  to  prove  that  I  could  by  no  possibility  have 
known  anything  of  the  matter  at  all;  second,  I  was  never 
alone  with  Mr.  Maffit  five  minutes  in  my  life;  and  as  to 
being  in  league  with  him  to  break  up  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  I  never  knew  until  now  that  he  was  charged  with 
any  such  thing.  As  to  going  about  in  this  manner  for  money 
and  fame,  I  can  say,  I  have  never  in  any  way  negotiated  with 
any  church  or  persons  for  one  penny  for  all  or  any  of  my 
traveling  expenses.  I  will  allow,  however,  that  when  I  left 
here  last  Tuesday  morning  a  brother  of  this  church  put  in 
my  hand  two  dollars  and  compelled  me  to  take  them.  Now, 
it  cost  me  twenty-one  shillings  to  come  here,  and  this 
brother  gave  me  sixteen.  So  you  see  I  have  not  made  any- 
thing here,  nor  did  I  ask  or  expect  it.  As  to  my  laboring 
for  fame;  these  charges  are  the  fame  I  get.  I  will  sell  any 
man  all  o£  it  for  three  cents.  I  am  aware  that  the  curious 
desire  to  know  why  I  am  thus  going  about,  and  what  is  the 
impelling  motive  for  it.  I  will  tell  you.  You  yourselves 
must  know,  that  I  am  either  a  fool,  or  crazy,  or  honest.  If  a 
fool, do  not  be  too  hard  upon  me.  If  crazy,  I  need  your  pity. 
Now  no  man  in  his  senses  will  follow  the  track  I  am  on 
without  a  motive;  and  I'll  frankly  own,  though  I  do  not 
make  a  practice  of  dwelling  on  these  matters,  that  I  am 
where  I  am  and  doing  as  I  am,  because  I  dare  not  do  other- 
wise. For  this  I  have  been  brought  to  the  verge  of 
the  grave,  and  then  let  off  on  the  promise  that  I  would  go 
and  preach  the  gospel.  And  the  last  time,  the  word  came  to 
me,  'You  may  live  as  long  as  you  preach  but  no  longer.'  I 
dare  not  disobey.  Now,  if  the  president  of  your  Temper- 
ance society  (he  was  the  one  who  had  circulated  the  paper 


ANSWER  TO  THE  SLANDER.  171 

with  the  charges  in  against  me)  was  to  be  thus  treated, 
because  he  tried  to  win  your  drunken  husbands  and  sons 
back  to  a  virtuous  life,  do  you  think  he  would  deserve  it? 
While  I  have  been  here  in  your  midst  every  day,  when  the 
weather  was  pleasant  I  have  spent  the  most  of  my  time  out 
in  yonder  grove  on  my  knees,  and  sometimes  on  my  face, 
before  God,  pleading  with  him  to  spare  you  and  save  your 
husbands,  and  wives,  and  sons,  and  daughters.  You  your- 
selves will  bear  me  witness  that  I  have  not  tried  to  persuade 
any  one  here  to  he,  steal,  swear,  fight  or  get  drunk,  or  to  do 
anything  that  is  wrong.  On  the  contrary  I  have  tried  to 
make  everybody  better,  kind,  loving,  happy  and  comfortable, 
and  to  help  them  to  get  ready  for  the  world  to  come — and 
this  at  my  own  expense,  and  in  the  face  of  slander  and  per- 
secution." 

Here  Mr.  Redfield's  feelings  overcame  him  and  through 
his  tears  he  concluded  by  saying,  "I  do  not  think  I  should 
receive  this  kind  of  treatment."  The  tide  of  influence  turned, 
and  the  meetings  went  on  with  greater  power  than  ever. 

Mr.  Redfield  says:  "This  was  the  only  instance  where 
I  felt  called  upon  to  say  a  word  in  self-defense."  • 

Soon  after  he  was  invited  to  go  back  to  the  city  of  New 
York  to  hold  meetings  in  one  of  the  large  churches.  He 
says:  "We  began  on  Monday.  The  church  immediately 
commenced  to  seek  the  experience  of  holiness.  The  first 
night  fourteen  were  converted;  the  next  night,  eighteen;  the 
next,  twenty;  and  so  the  number  increased  through  the 
week.  Sunday  the  house  was  greatly  crowded,  and  espe- 
cially so  in  the  evening.  During  the  preaching  in  the  evening 
God  was  present  in  great  power.  When  through  with  my 
sermon,  and  I  was  about  to  invite  seekers  to  the  altar,  the 
preacher  stopped  me,  saying:  'Wait  a  while;  I  am  going  to 
marry  a  couple  before  the  prayer  meeting.'  I  said:  'O 
brother,  don't!  I  am  afraid  you  will  divert  the  attention,  and 
destroy  the  interest  of  the  meeting.' 


172  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"  'I  can  make  it  very  solemn,  and  besides  I  have  promised 
to  do  it,'  he  replied. 

"  'For  the  Lord's  sake,  and  souls'  sake,'  I  pleaded,  'don't 
do  it.  You  will  crush  out  this  interest.' 

"'Well,'  said  he,  'I  shall  do  it.' 

'"Can't  you  take  the  couple  into  the  basement?'  I  asked. 
'Don't  break  us  up  here.' 

"But  in  spite  of  my  entreaties  he  arose  and  commenced 
the  ceremony  by  a  brief  lecture  on  the  nature  and  solemnity 
of  marriage.  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  our  opportunity  for 
getting  people  saved  that  night  was  lost.  He  finished  the 
ridiculous  affair,  and  we  tried  to  have  a  prayer  meeting,  but 
the  Spirit  had  been  grieved,  and  the  effort  was  a  failure.  The 
revival  came  to  an  end  right  there." 

Mr.  Redfield  went  from  this  to  another  church  where 
some  three  hundred  had  professed  conversion.  He  expected 
to  preach  but  one  night.  When  he  was  through  with  his 
sermon  the  pastor  followed  with  remarks,  and  asked  if  the 
meetings  should  close.  The  congregation  voted,  No.  He 
then  asked:  "How  many  will  seek  religion  if  the  meetings 
continue?"  About  five  hundred  arose.  The  meetings  went 
on  for  some  time,  and  the  conference  minutes  showed  after- 
wards that  about  five  hundred  additional  ones  were  taken  into 
the  church. 

These  successes  were  very  assuring  to  Mr.  Redfield  of 
the  wisdom  of  preaching  the  doctrine  of  holiness.  He  was 
also  much  encouraged  by  the  promptness  and  thoroughness 
with  which  a  minister  was  dealt  with  in  an  eastern  confer- 
ence for  publishing  a  pamphlet  opposed  to  the  Wesleyan 
view  of  the  doctrine.  He  was  required  to  renounce  his 
pamphlet,  and  to  promise  not  to  preach  his  peculiar  opinion. 
This  minister  then  took  a  transfer  to  another  conference. 

About  the  same  time  Jesse  T.  Feck,  afterwards  bishop, 
published  a  work  on  the  subject,  entitled, "The  Central  Idea 
of  Christianity."  Quite  a  controversy  on  this  subject  had 


THE  HOLINESS  CONTROVERSY.  173 

arisen  in  the  church,  and  the  new  book  was  written  in 
defense  of  the  true  doctrine.  Much  of  it  appeared  in  one  of 
the  church  periodicals  first.  It  was  finally  published  in  a 
permanent  form,  after  being  enlarged  and  adapted  to  popular 
use.  This  work  discussed  every  feature  of  the  doctrine  that 
now  attracted  the  public  attention,  but  not  in  a  controversial 
manner  or  spirit.  To  read  it  now,  one  would  scarcely  gather 
from  its  pages  that  the  doctrine  was  ever  disputed.  The 
work  soon  became  an  authority  on  the  subject,  and  has  been 
used  in  the  course  of  study  for  preachers  in  at  least  one  of 
the  Methodist  bodies  of  America. 

Some  strong  men  were  enlisted  on  both  sides  of  this  con- 
troversy. In  favor  of  the  doctrine  as  held  by  the  early 
Methodists  were  found  Nathan  Bangs,  the  first  historian  of 
American  Methodism ;  the  author  of  "The  Central  Idea"; 
Joseph  Hartwell;  and,  not  the  least  in  the  tribes  of  Israel,. 
Phrebe  Palmer.  On  the  other  side  were  Hiram  Mattison, 
C.  P.  Bragdon,  and  other's. 

Mr.  Redfield  now  thought  the  doctrine  was  safe,  and  the 
return  of  the  church  to  her  ancient  simplicity  and  power  was 
assured ;  but  he  subsequently  wrote,  "  I  had  yet  to  learn  that 
hostility  to  right  never  ceases." 

He  went  to  spend  the  winter  in  Philadelphia.  He  labored 
for  a  while  in  St.  George's  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the 
oldest  church  of  that  denomination  in  the  city.  It  had  been 
the  cradle  of  Methodism.  The  pastor  had  lately  been  brought 
into  the  experience  of  perfect  love,  and  entered  heartily  into 
the  methods  and  labors  of  Mr.  Redfield.  God  greatly  poured 
out  his  Spirit,  and  many  were  saved.  In  the  midst  of  this 
success,  the  minister  who  had  been  required  by  his  confer- 
ence to  renounce  his  pamphlet  and  promise  not  to  preach  his 
peculiar  views,  appeared  upon  the  scene  and  commenced  to 
oppose  the  work  then  in  progress.  But  God  had  given  the 
doctrine  of  holiness  such  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  that 
the  work  went  on  in  triumph. 


174  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Mr.  Redfield  now  visited  another  church  by  especial 
request,  but  was  permitted  to  preach  but  once. 

He  then  visited  another  church.  Here  he  found  a  state 
of  revival.  Some  three  hundred  had  already  been  converted. 
The  pastor  said:  "We  have  had  a  great  work.  I  desire  you 
to  preach  a  few  sermons  on  holiness  to  help  us  regain  the 
spirituality  we  have  lost  in  our  efforts  for  others.  I  think  it 
will  do  us  good  for  you  to  do  so." 

Mr.  Redfield  had  a  favorable  opinion  of  the  moral  state 
of  the  church,  and  thought  it  in  a  good  condition  to  take  hold 
of  the  doctrine  of  holiness.  But  he  asked  the  pastor:  "Do 
you  know  what  you  ask?  Are  you  prepared  to  allow  the 
doctrine  of  holiness  to  be  pressed  upon  your  people?" 

"I  don't  know  what  I  have  to  fear,"  he  answered. 

"Well,  let  me  tell  you,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "my  impres- 
sion is  that  the  introduction  of  that  doctrine  will  be  accom- 
panied with  results  beyond  your  conception  as  to  their 
magnitude.  Why,  sir,  this  work  has  but  just  begun." 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I'll  risk  it." 

The  doctrine  of  holiness  was  made  the  theme  of  the 
meetings.  In  a  few  days  it  became  necessary  to  close  and 
even  lock  the  doors  after  the  church  was  comfortably  filled, 
in  order  to  work  with  success.  The  scenes  of  power  were 
most  remarkable.  The  saved  would  shout,  jump,  fall,  so  as 
to  block  the  aisles.  Sinners  in  the  midst  of  this  would  crowd 
their  way  through  and  sometimes  climb  over  the  seats  to  get 
to  the  altar,  and  when  that  was  filled,  they  would  sometimes 
fill  a  row  of  seats  clear  across  the  church.  So  great  became 
the  press  of  seekers,  and  the  violence  of  the  commotion, 
that  the  preacher  became  alarmed  and  abruptly  closed  the 
meetings. 

Mr.  Redfield  then  went  to  two  other  churches,  but  was 
permitted  to  preach  but  once  in  each,  and  then  took  the  meet- 
ings to  private  houses.  The  work  of  holiness  went  on  in 
power.  The  last  afternoon  meeting,  fourteen  were  sanctified. 


VISITS  MANY  PLACES.  175 

He  then  visited  many  places  in  quick  succession,  stopping 
but  one  or  two  weeks  in  each.  During  this  time  he  saw 
many  souls  saved,  hut  afterwards  thought  he  had  made  a  mis- 
take in  leaving  most  places  so  soon. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

MR.  RKDFIKLD  went  now  to  a  place  on  Long  Island 
where  a  Methodist  church  had  been  compelled  to  contend 
for  a  bare  existence  against  the  opposition  of  other  churches. 
One  minister  was  very  violent  in  his  opposition.  He  warned 
the  people  against  attending  the  meetings,  especially  while 
Mr.  Rcdfield  was  there.  This  only  aroused  their  curiosity, 
and  the  house  was  full  from  the  beginning.  Among  those 
who  came  the  first  night  was  an  infidel  school  teacher.  The 
next  day  he  said  to  his  scholars:  "Tell  your  parents  I  have 
been  to  the  meetings  and  have  heard  the  new  preacher.  Tell 
them  I  say  he  is  the  only  honest  preacher  in  the  place,  and 
if  what  he  preaches  is  religion,  it  is  worthy  of  their  fullest 
confidence.  Tell  them  to  come  out  and  hear  for  themselves." 

They  did  come;  God  owned  the  truth,  and  revivals  broke 
out  in  different  places  in  the  vicinity  besides,  and  many  souls 
were  saved.  The  minister  here  was  a  good  man  and  had 
been  very  successful;  but  he  was  now  nearly  worn  out  from 
excessive  labors. 

From  this  place  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  the  former  home 
of  Freeborn  Garrettson,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Methodism. 
Here  he  found  the  widow  of  that  soldier  for  Jesus  still  living, 
and  in  readiness  waiting  for  her  summons  to  the  mansions  of 
the  blest.  Among  the  tokens  of  friendship  he  received  here 
was  a  set  of  Benson's  Commentaries  from  Mrs.  Garrettson. 
These  had  belonged  to  Mr.  Garrettson,  and  had  his  auto- 
graph upon  a  biank  leaf.  Here  some  fifty  or  sixty  were  saved. 

Mr.  Redfield  next  went  to  C—  ,  about  fifty  miles  dis- 
tant. Here  there  was  a  powerful  work  among  sinners,  result- 
ing from  the  church  entering  into  the  experience  of  holiness. 

On  leaving  C—  — ,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  labor  in  the 
suburbs  of  New  York  city  again.  Here  there  was  not  much 
accomplished,  as  the  church  did  not  readily  embrace  the  expe- 
rience, nor  welcome  the  doctrine  of  holiness.  It  was  early 

(176) 


RETURNS  TO  NEW  YORK.  177 

in  the  fall,  and  the  people  did  not  feel  sufficiently  released 
from  business  to  enter  upon  a  revival  campaign;  so  he  aban- 
doned the  effort. 

While  here  he  was  constantly  waiting  upon  God  to  know 
where  he  should  spend  the  winter.  One  day  there  came 
before  him  the  peculiar  sign  that  had  indicated  the  will  of  the 
Lord  many  times  before.  He  got  a  map  of  the  United  States 
and  found  the  sign  to  point  in  the  direction  of  Cincinnati. 
He  had  before  this  been  invited  by  Bishop  Hamline  to  visit 
that  city,  and  he  now  resolved  to  enter  every  open  door  that 
led  in  that  direction.  Soon  a  brother  from  Philadelphia 
came  and  invited  him  to  return  to  that  city  where  he  had 
spent  the  previous  winter.  He  resolved  to  go  because  it 
seemed  to  lead  toward  Cincinnati.  But  that  night  his  track 
was  laid  out  for  him  in  a  dream.  He  must  begin  at  Goshen. 
The  next  morning  an  invitation  came  from  Goshen  to  help 
in  a  protracted  meeting  there.  He  told  the  minister  from 
Philadelphia  that  he  would  go  to  Goshen  and  write  to  him 
from  there.  His  reasons  for  this  decision  he  kept  to  himself. 

Goshen  was  a  county  seat,  and  had  a  very  bad  name.  A 
Methodist  bishop  on  passing  through  the  place  some  years 
before  found  that  there  was  no  Methodist  preaching  in  the 
place,  and  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Home  Missionary 
Society  presented  the  matter.  A  minister  was  sent,  but 
found  no  place  in  which  to  preach.  The  principal  church 
building  in  the  place  was  an  old  affair,  and  the  membership 
of  the  church  led  such  inconsistent  lives  that  it  had  very 
little  influence  for  good.  The  place  seemed  almost  given  up 
to  skepticism  and  drunkenness.  A  new  church  was  finally 
built -by  the  denomination  that  owned  the  old  one,  and  the 
latter  passed  into  the  possession  of  a  gentleman  who  allowed 
the  Methodists  to  occupy  it.  But  it  was  in  such  a  bad  condi- 
tion that  .many  considered  it  unsafe.  The  Methodistpreacher 
finally  raised  money  to  build  a  church,  but  when  he  came  to 
purchase  a  lot,  the  only  one  he  could  buy  was  a  frog  pond. 


178  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Undaunted  by  this,  he  had  the  pond  drained,  and  built  his 
church.  The  new  church  was  to  be  the  scene  of  Mr.  Red- 
field's  labors.  The  preacher  was  agentleman  and  a  Christian, 
and  stood  by  the  evangelist  as  he  endeavored  to  preach  the 
straight,  plain  truth.  Some  of  the  poor  members  were  badly 
frightened,  at  the  thought  of  losing  caste  with  the  established 
church  of  the  place  if  they  should  obtain  a  higher  type  of 
piety  than  they  now  enjoyed.  The  editor  of  the  local  paper 
was  a  deacon  in  that  church,  and  he  used  his  paper  to  bring 
the  meetings  into  disrepute.  The  rumsellers  became  violent 
in  spirit,  and  accused  the  evangelist  of  proving  himself  a  bad 
man  by  destroying  their  business.  They  complained  that 
they  had  lost  about  sixty  dollars  during  the  first  three  weeks 
of  the  revival ;  and  if  the  meetings  went  on,  their  families 
would  soon  suffer  for  the  necessaries  of  life. 

When  the  other  churches  found  they  could  not  drive  the 
Methodists  out  of  the  town,  they  tried  to  build  themselves 
up  by  proselyting.  Some  of  their  members  began  to  come 
into  the  meetings  and  to  sing  with  the  young  converts,  and 
to  make  much  of  them,  and  at  last  to  lead  them  before  their 
church  officers  to  be  received  into  church  fellowship.  When 
about  sixty  had  been  received  into  the  church  to  which  the 
village  editor  belonged,  his  paper  changed  its  tone,  and  in- 
stead of  saying  anything  more  about  the  unhealthy  excitement 
of  the  Methodist  meetings,  it  spoke  of  the  gracious  revival 
in  the church. 

The  infidels,  to  cast  odium  on  the  meetings,  got  up  a 
mock  prayer  meeting.  The  wife  of  the  ring-leader,  at  whose 
house  this  meeting  was  held,  became  frightened  and  left. 
Her  husband  went  insane  before  their  meeting  closed.-  He 
declared  he  was  lost  forever,  and  in  a  few  hours  he  was  dead. 
The  next  Sunday  this  man's  funeral  sermon  was  preached  in 
the  Methodist  church  by  the  pastor.  This  interposition  of 
Providence  put  a  stop  to  all  opposition  to  the  revival,  and  the 
work  of  God  went  gloriously  forward. 


MORE  PROSELYTING  EFFORTS.  179 

An  attempt  was  made,  soon  after,  to  proselyte  the 
more  influential  of  the  converts.  Mr.  Redfield  finally 
announced  from  the  pulpit  that  he  was  aware  of  what  was 
going  on,  and  threatened  if  he  found  them  trying  to  prose- 
lyte the  colored  people  or  the  ragged  poor  he  would  expose 
them.  One  of  the  converts  was  a  rich  old  man,  who  some 
twenty  years  before  was  awakened,  and  went  to  a  deacon, 
and  asked  how  to  find  peace.  The  deacon  asked  him  what 
was  the  prevailing  sin  of  his  life,  and,  on  being  informed, 
told  the  man  that  he  was  a  reprobate,  and  there  was  no  mercy 
for  him.  The  man  then  concluded  that  he  might  as  well 
enjoy  himself  as  best  he  could.  But  eight  years  before  the 
meeting  now  being  described,  this  man  had  a  dream,  in  which 
he  was  told  that  he  would  yet  see  a  man  who  would  tell  him 
how  to  be  saved.  This  made  such  an  impression  upon  his 
mind  that  the  next  morning  he  told  his  wife  and  the  deacon 
that  he  was  sure  he  was  not  a  reprobate.  The  night  of  his 
conversion  was  the  first  of  his  attending  the  meetings,  and 
when  he  returned  home  he  said  to  his  wife:  "I  have  seen 
the  man  of  whom  I  dreamed  eight  years  ago.  He  has  told 
me  how  to  be  saved,  and  I  have  found  it.  Now  I  shall  join 
the  Methodists." 

Another  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  who  had  been  presi- 
dent of  the  village  corporation  and  was  quite  influential.  The 
same  old  deacon  who  had  told  the  other  man  that  he  was  a 
reprobate  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  losing  this  man;  so 
he  came  early  one  morning  to  talk  with  him,  but  found  Mr. 
Redfield  present.  At  this  he  seemed  disturbed,  and  said, 
"I  hope  I  do  not  intrude."  When  assured  by  the  man  of 
the  house  that  he  might  feel  perfectly  free,  he  inquired: 

"Well,  Mr.  B ,  how  do  you  feel?  " 

"I  don't  have  any  evidence  of  my  acceptance  yet," 
the  reply. 

"Evidence!"  said  the  deacon.    "You  know  Deacon  R ? 

He  never  had  any  evidence;  and  everybody  thought  he  was 


iSo  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

a  good  man.  But  all  the  evidence  he  ever  had  of  his  conver- 
sion was,  his  heart  felt  as  hard  as  a  stone." 

"But,"  said  Mr.  B ,  "if  I  only  knew  that  God  heard 

my  prayers,  I  should  take  hope." 

"Hear  your  prayers?"  said  the  deacon.  "Why,  v/e  have 
been  praying  for  more  than  twenty  years  for  a  revival,  and 
you  see  it  has  just  come." 

Said  Mr.  B ,  "I  am  now  anxious  that  Mr.  S 

should  go  with  me." 

"Oh,"  said  the  deacon,  "you  need  not  trouhle  yourself 

about  Mr.  S ,  for  if  the  Spirit  begins  with  him  he  will 

have  to  come." 

Mr.  Redfield  had  felt  that  the  man  to  whom  the  deacon 
was"  talking  needed,  especially,  to  have  a  thorough  experi- 
ence. He  had  been  seeking  earnestly  for  a  number  of  days, 
and  that  night  he  was  at  the  altar  again  for  prayers,  when 
the  following  conversation  took  place: 

"Brother,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "what  is  the  reason  for 
your  not  being  converted?" 

"I  don't  know,"  he  answered. 

"Do  you  make  a  full  surrender  to  God  of  all  you  are  and 
have?" 

« I  do." 

"Will  you  give  to  God  every  dollar  you  own,  and  let 
him  make  a  draft  upon  you  to  any  amount,  at  any  time?" 

"I  will,"  was  his  prompt  reply. 

"  Will  you  at  once  begin  to  pray  in  your  family?" 

"Why,  would  it  be  right  before  I  am  converted?"  he 
asked. 

"Certainly.     God  commands  all  men  to  pray." 

"I  will,"  said  he. 

"  Further,  my  brother,  will  you  go  out  and  exhort  sinners 
to  come  to  Jesus?" 

"Would  that  be  right  before  I  get  religion?" 


INCIDENTS.  181 

"Surely;  for  God  says  to  every  one  that  heareth  not  only 
to  come,  but  'let  him  say,  come.'  " 

"I  will,"  said  he. 

The  meeting  closed  without  his  finding  relief.  He  went 
alone  to  his  store;  the  clerks  were  all  gone,  and  going  down  . 
upon  his  knees,  he  gave  himself  up  to  God — person,  property, 
and  all.  He  then  went  home,  and  set  up  his  family  altar. 
In  the  morning,  early,  he  went  to  the  home  of  the  gentle- 
man he  had  felt  such  an  interest  in,  and  said :  "  Mr.  S ,  I 

have  come  on  a  strange  errand  to  you  this  morning.  It  is  to 
ask  you  to  go  with  me  and  seek  religion." 

In  deep  emotion,  Mr.  S replied,  "  I  will.     Mr.  B j 

pray  for  me." 

"I  have  never  tried  that  yet;  but  if  you  will  kneel  down, 
I  will  try." 

They  knelt,  and  while  Mr.  B was  praying  for  his 

friend,  God  converted  his  own  soul. 

The  deacon  heard  that   Mr.  B was   converted,  and 

went  to  see  him  again.     He  now  insisted  upon   Mr.  B 's 

going  before  the  session  of  his  church.  When  he  had  him 
there,  he  pressed  him  hard  to  unite  with  that  church.  Said 
he: 

"You  will  not  think  of  joining  the  Methodist  Church;  it 
will  surely  injure  your  standing  if  you  do." 

"Oh,"  said   Mr.  B ,   "I   may  be  too  zealous  for  your 

church.     I  must  go  where  I  can  save  my  soul  alive." 

He  finally  united  with  the  Methodist  Church  and  became 
a  useful  class-leader. 

The  doctrine  of  holiness  was  made  the  prominent  theme 
of  this  revival  meeting,  and  the  young  converts  were,  many 
of  them,  a  few  days  after  their  conversion,  in  the  clear  enjoy- 
ment of  the  experience. 

One  young  Indy  who  had  been  thus  saved,  was  badly 
burned  by  the  explosion  of  a  fluid  lamp  she  was  filling.  While 
her  friends  were  endeavoring  to  extinguish  the  flames  at  the 

pump,  she  sang  the  hymn: 
14 


183  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"Am  I  a  soldier  of  the  cross? 
A  follower  of  the  Lamb? 
And  shall  I  fear  to  own  his  cause, 
Or  blush  to  speak  his  name?" 

A  physician  was  called,  who  pronounced  her  not  in  danger 
of  death.  But  she  declared  she  was  going  to  die;  that  her 
soul  was  full  of  glory,  and  that  she  wanted  to  be  with  Christ. 
On  dressing  her  arms,  the  flesh  fell  from  the  bones.  She 
lingered  for  a  few  days  in  great  pairi,  but  glorious  triumph, 
and  then  passed  away.  Thus  was  demonstrated  the  genu- 
ineness of  this  work  of  grace,  and  the  soundness  of  the  teach- 
-ing  th:it  was  used  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  bringing  it  about. 

It  was  estimated  that  more  than  four  hundred  persons 
were  converted  in  this  revival.  This  mission  appointment 
became  self-supporting,  and  an  aid  in  the  support  of  other 
missions. 

Mr.  Red  field  next  went  to  a  place  seven  miles  from 
Goshen,  where  the  Congregationalists  had  been  holding  a 
meeting  until  it  was  broken  up  by  the  roughs.  He  found 
the  community  greatly  demoralized,  and  mostly  through  the 
scheming  of  a  professor  of  religion,  a  member  of  a  church 
which  was  jealous  both  of  the  Congregationalists  and  the 
Methodists.  He  and  an  infidel  commenced  operations  the 
first  night  of  Mr.  Redfield's  meeting.  After  the  service  had 
closed,  Mr.  Redfield  asked  the  membership: 

"Why  do  you  allow  such  conduct  in  your  meetings  when 
the  law  protects  you  ?" 

"They  always  do  so  when  we  commence  a  protracted 
meeting,"  was  the  answer.  "They  have  just  broken  up  the 
Congregationalist  meeting." 

"But  you  must  stop  it." 

"We  dare  not  meddle  with  it." 

"Well,  I  hope  you  will  not  put  that  burden  upon  me;  but 


DEALING  WITH  ROWDIES.  183 

one  thing  is  certain,  if  you  don't  take  the  matter  in  hand  I 
shall,"  said  Mr.  Redfield. 

The  next  evening  the  house  was  greatly  crowded,  and 
in  the  gallery  was  that  professor  of  religion,  and  his  infidel 
accomplice.  They  began  their  disturbance  by  throwing 
missiles  at  the  ladies  who  were  coming  in.  The  congrega- 
tion was  engaged  in  singing.  Mr.  Redfield  called  upon  them 
to  stop,  and  pointing  to  the  infidel,  said  in  a  loud  voice,"!  hope 
that  young  man  with  the  white  cravat,  will  be  civil  enough 
to  cease  throwing  things  at  the  ladies."  The  infidel  made 
an  insulting  reply,  and  Mr.  Redfield  said,  "Sir,  we  know 
our  rights.  A  Methodist  church  is  not  a  tavern  nor  a  grog- 
shop, and  our  rights  are  respected  by  the  law,  as  well  as 
those  of  any  other  church.  Upon  my  honor  as  a  man,  I 
promise  to  see  that  the  ladies  who  attend  these  meetings 
shall  be  protected  by  law.  The  legal  penalty  for  disturbing  a 
religious  meeting,  is  a  fine  of  twenty-five  dollars,  or  imprison- 
ment in  jail  until  the  fine  is  paid.  I  will  meet  every  person 
who  disturbs  these  meetings  at  the  magistrate's  office,  and 
will  see  that  the  law  is  executed.  And  you  may  tell  your 
friends  that  they  can  come  to  the  Methodist  church  and  be 
respected." 

It  was  very  quiet  that  night,  but  the  next  morning  one  of 
the  rowdies  with  some  companions  was  seen  standing  in 
front  of  the  church.  He  began  to  curse  the  members  and  Mr. 
Redfield,  in  a  loud  and  very  blasphemous  manner.  Suddenly 
he  fell  to  the  ground.  His  comrades  thought  he  was  dead. 
They  took  him  to  the  tavern,  removed  his  clothing,  and  put 
him  in  bed.  After  a  while  he  came  to,  and  exclaimed,  "O 
Gocl;  what  have  I  been  doing."  He  confessed  his  wrong: 
his  companions  were  frightened,  and  all  opposition  to  the 
meetings  ceased.  Within  ten  days  from  the  time  the  meet- 
ing commenced,  more  than  one  hundred  persons  were  con- 
verted. The  church  that  had  inspired  such  opposition  now 
tried  to  gather  the  young  converts  into  their  communion, 
but  they  were  too  clear  and  strong  to  be  easily  taken  in  that 


184  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

manner.  After  Mr.  Redfield  was  gone,  the  pastor  of  that 
church  undertook  to  have  a  revival.  The  first  night  he 
announced  that  they  wanted  no  shouting,  nor  singing  of  the 
songs  used  by  the  Methodists,  nor  any  fainting  away  (as  he 
called  the  losing  of  strength).  But  he  invited  all  who  desired 
to  become  Christians  to  rise  to  their  feet.  Only  one  arose, 
and  that  one  had  been  seeking  at  the  other  meeting.  In  a 
few  days  the  meeting  came  to  a  close  with  no  further  result. 

A  request  now  came  to  Mr.  Redfield  to  return,  and  make 
an  effort  to  save  the  respectable  part  of  the  community, as  the 
uncouth  rabble  had  all  been  converted,  and  the  probability  was 
that  the  oUiers  would  now  be  willing  to  accept  of  salvation, 
lie  considered  that  there  was  but  one  gospel  and  one  salva- 
tion, for  the  rabble  and  the  genteel,  and  as  they  had  refused 
that,  he  had  no  other  to  offer. 

His  next  meeting  was  in  P —  -  I ,  on  Long  Island. 

Here  he  found  a  state  of  things  similar  to  that  at  the  last 
place.  He  told  the  preacher  he  must  command  order,  as 
God  had  given  them  the  benefit  of  the  law.  But  he  replied, 
"The  great  difficulty  is,  some  of  the  disturbers  are  children 
of  our  own  members."  Mr.  Redfield  then  determined  to  do 
his  duty.  The  second  evening  came,  and  the  rowdy  element 
was  very  boisterous.  He  tried  to  quiet  them  by  kind  words 
for  a  season,  but  in  vain.  At  last  he  got  their  attention,  and 
told  them  to  make  one  more  demonstration  if  they  dared, 
and  he  would  see  the  law  enforced  the  next  morning.  All 
were  hushed  immediately.  The  next  night  seventeen  of  the 
rowdies  were  at  the  altar,  seeking  for  salvation. 

In  this  meeting,  the  afternoons  were  devoted  entirely  to 
the  experience  of  holiness.  The  second  afternoon  the  wife 
of  a  sea  captain  was  forward,  seeking  for  perfect  love.  In 
her  consecration  she  came  up  against  the  question  of  giving 
up  her  husband.  The  enemy  tempted  her  to  think  that  if 
she  gave  him  up  the  Lord  would  take  him  away,  and  she 
would  never  see  him  alive  again.  At  last  she  was  enabled  to 


COMPLETE  VICTORY.  185 

make  the  consecration,  and  the  power  of  God  fell  upon  her. 
As  soon  as  she  could  she  arose  and  testified  to  being  saved. 
The  work  now  opened  with  great  power,  and  many  were 
saved. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

MR.  RKDFIKLD  was  next  sent  for  to  spend  the  winter  in 
Boston.  But  before  he  started  he  received  a  letter  from  the 
preacher  in  Chelsea,  near  Boston,  asking  him  to  spend  a  few 
days  there  before  commencing  in  Boston.  He  agreed  to  this, 
and  went  immediately  to  fill  the  engagement.  He  found  the 
preacher  a  courageous,  faithful  man.  His  congregation  was 
worshiping  in  a  hall,  as  their  church  edifice  was  not  yet 
completed. 

As  usual,  Mr.  Redfield  commenced  his  work  by  showing  the 
standard  of  religion  to  be  what  Wesley  and  Fletcher  and  the 
fathers  of  Methodism  had  declared  it  to  be.  God  owned  the 
truth.  The  hall  was  crowded  nightly  with  a  congregation 
made  up  from  various  orthodox  churches.  He  had  labored 
but  a  few  days  before  he  was  waited  upon  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  several  laymen  and  one  Methodist  preacher. 
They  told  him  they  had  come  to  labor  with  him,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, to  disabuse  his  mind  of  some  misapprehensions  that  he 
evidently  entertained. 

He  replied,  "Brethren,  do  your  whole  duty." 

Said  the  preacher,  "By  your  strong  and  sweeping  decla- 
rations against  all  who  do  not  come  up  to  your  standard,  you 
reflect  upon  the  Unitarians  and  Universalists.  You  evidently 
don't  know  them.  Besides  you  offend  some  of  our  mem- 
bers whose  friends  belong  to  these  communions.  I  regard 
them  as  good  people,  especially  the  Unitarians;  and  if  there 
is  any  choice  between  them  and  the  Methodists,  it  is  in  their 
favor." 

Mr.  Redfield  could  hardly  repress  his  astonishment  at 
such  a  declaration  from  a  Methodist  preacher;  and  replied, 
"Your  good  Unitarians  and  Universalists  have  the  devil  in 
them." 

He  was  interrupted  by  one  saying,  "You  ought  to    know 

(186) 


FALLING  UNDER  THE  POWER.  187 

that  such  rough  deportment  will  not  be  accepted  in  a  place  as 
refined  as  the  city  of  Chelsea." 

"Well,"  said  he,  "if  you  know  the  doctrines  of  Method- 
ism as  you  ought  to  know  them,  if  you  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  as  you  claim  to  be,  I  will  this  night  prove 
to  you  that  what  I  say  is  true.  As  Methodists,  you  know 
that  our  doctrine  of  holiness  is  love,  and  nothing  but  love. 
I  think  matters  are  ripe  for  it,  and  to-night,  I  design  to  pre- 
sent the  doctrine  of  perfect  love;  and  if  it  don't  smoke  out 
devils  I  will  give  up  that  I  am  wrong." 

Accordingly,  the  theme  that  night  was  holiness  as  a  state 
to  be  attained  now.  While  he  was  preaching,  a  young  man, 
of  a  large  and  powerful  frame,  fell  like  a  dead  man  to  the 
floor.  The  people  were  alarmed,  supposing  he  had  fallen  in 
a  fit.  Several  went  to  him  and  carried  him  out  of  the  hall. 
As  soon  as  he  could  speak,  he  cried  out,  "Glory  to  God!  You 
need  not  hold  me.  God  has  given  me  the  great  blessing." 
He  came  in  again,  and  walking  up  the  aisle,  testified  as  fol- 
lows: "While  Mr.  Redfield  was  preaching,  I  said,  <O  Lord, 
I  never  heard  about  getting  the  second  blessing.  Now  if 
the  doctrine  is  true,  let  me  know  it  by  laying  me  out  on  the 
floor.'  Instantly  I  fell  as  if  I  had  been  shot.  Now  I  know 
I  have  got  the  blessing;  and  I  love  God  with  all  my  heart." 

One  of  the  class  leaders  immediately  arose  and  said,  "If 
that  doctrine  has  got  in  here  I  am  done  with  the  Methodist 
Church.  I  am  a  Universalist." 

Then  another  leader  arose  and  said,  "I  will  have  no  more 
to  do  with  Methodists  for  I  am  a  Unitarian." 

But  the  work  went  on  in  great  power,  and  when  Mr. 
Redfield's  time  was  out  about  one  hundred  had  been  con- 
verted. 

He  now  went  to  Boston,  and  presented  himself  at  the 
parsonage  of  the  church  in  which  he  had  engaged  to  labor. 
The  minister  was  an  old  man,  and  had  never  met  Mr.  Red- 
field.  When  he  found  he  had  come  he  seemed  frightened, 


iSS  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

for  he  had  hcnrcl  terrible  stories  of  the  measures  used  in  Chel- 
sea, reported  by  the  preacher  of  the  committee  already  alluded 
to  and  the  infidel  Methodists  who  had  left  the  church. 

The  good  old  man,  to  make  it  as  easy  as  he  could,  said, 
"We  have  had  some  meetings,  and  I  don't  think  the  breth- 
ren will  be  willing  to  open  them  again."  Mr.  Redfield  saw 
his  embarrassment  and  dilemma,  and  as  quietly  as  possible 
withdrew  and  returned  to  Chelsea.  But  the  good  man  went 
over  and  saw  for  himself,  and,  when  he  returned,  persuaded 
his  people  to  let  Mr.  Redfield  come  and  preach  once,  that 
they  might  know  him  for  themselves. 

A  goodly  number  of  his  congregation  were  superannuated 
Methodist  preachers,  engaged  about  the  book-room  in  the 
city.  Of  course  they  had  heard  all  the  reports  that  were  in 
circulation,  and  were  afraid  of  Mr.  Redfield.  When  the  time 
came  for  the  appointment,  the  meeting  was  held  in  what  was 
called  the  small  lecture-room  of  the  church.  Mr.  Redfield 
perceived  what  this  meant,  but  went  straight  forward  about 
his  work.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting  several  of  these  old 
preachers  said,  "You  must  stay  to-morrow  night,  and  we 
will  open  the  large  lecture-room."  Mr.  Redfield  did  so,  and 
took  the  strongest  stand  he  could  for  primitive  Methodism. 
God  blessed  the  truth,  and  in  a  few  days  the  main  audience- 
room  was  opened,  and  in  a  fortnight  forty  or  fifty  were  con- 
verted. 

lie  had  now  accepted  an  invitation  to  a  place  about  two 
hundred  miles  distant.  But  the  preachers  of  Boston,  who 
saw  how  they  had  been  deceived  by  false  reports,  urged  him 
to  remain.  The  old  preachers  of  the  congregation  had  told 
them  that  the  objectionable  things  were  the  peculiarities  of 
old  Methodism,  and  that  those  who  had  left  the  church  of 
Chelsea  were  Unitarians  in  sentiment.  About  the  same  time 

Prof. ,  of  the  Wesleyan  University,  came  to  Boston  and 

bore  testimony  to  Mr.  Redfield's  soundness  as  a  Methodist. 
This  so  broke  up  the  opposition  that  the  ministers  of  the  city 


WATCHING  FOR  PROSELYTES.  189 

endeavored  to  engage  him  for  a  year.  Greatly  encouraged 
by  this,  Mr.  Redfield  promised,  if  it  was  possible,  he  would 
return.  But  the  opportunity  to  do  so  never  came. 

He  now  went  to  U ,  as  he  had  promised.  Again  the 

doctrine  and  experience  of  holiness  was  the  theme  and  the 
apparent  means  of  arousing  a  great  religious  interest,  and 
many  were  converted. 

One  night  he  observed  a  youngerly  man  sitting  in  the 
front  seat  who  appeared  to  be  greatly  interested  in  the  work. 
Others  sitting  with  him  manifested  the  same  kindness,  though 
none  of  them  took  part  in  the  altar  work.  After  the  meet- 
ing Mr.  Redfield  asked  one  of  the  brethren,  "  Who  are  these 
persons  who  seem  so  pleased  when  people  come  forward?" 

"Why,  don't  you  know  them?  They  are ists, 

and  ists,  and ists."  .  4 

"Well,  what  are  they  doing  here?" 

i 
"Oh,  they  are  watching  those  who  come  forward,  to  see  if 

there  are  any  that  they  want.  If  any  of  influence  come  for- 
ward, they  will  soon  be  after  them.  They  never  allow  the 
Methodists  to  get  any  one  here  of  importance  if  they  can 
help  it.  They  say  they  can  do  better  by  the  upper  class  than 
we  can;  and  that  we  are  well  adapted  to  help  the  lower 
classes.  They  help  us  financially,  for  they  say  we  are  doing 
a  good  work,  both  in  filling  up  their  church  and  ours.  One 
of  our  preachers  once  asked  one  of  theirs,  '  If  the  Methodists 
should  hold  all  their  converts  what  would  be  the  result?' 
The  answer  was,  '  Our  growth  would  be  comparatively 
small.'" 

Mr.  Redfield  saw  one  night  that  these  watchers  were 
greatly  elated  over  something  that  had  occurred.  After  the 
meeting  closed  he  asked  one  of  the  brethren  what  it  meant. 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "the  man  who  knelt  at  the  corner  of  the 
altar  was  one  of  such  as  they  are  after." 

The  next  evening  Mr.  Redfield  heard  the  bell  of  one  of 


190  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIHLD. 

the  churches  ring,  and  he  asked,  "Are  they  going  to  com- 
mence revival  services?" 

"No,"  was  the  answer,  "they  are  to  have  an  experience 
meeting  to-night." 

"What  is  that  for?" 

"Don't  you  remember  a  man  who  knelt  at  one  corner  of 
the  altar  last  night  who  attracted  much  attention?" 

"Yes;  I  do." 

"Well,  they  are  to  open  the  doors  of  the  church  for  him 
to-night." 

"But  he  was  not  converted  last  night!" 

•'That  makes  no  difference  in  this  case." 

The  man  was  received,  settled  down  satisfied  with  what 
he  had  done,  and  having  been  addicted  to  strong  drink,  with- 
in a  y"ear  was  in  the  gutter. 

While  here  Mr.  Redfield  met  a  local  preacher  who  was 
also  a  school  teacher,  whose  wife  had  opposed  his  preach- 
ing. But  if  he  did  not  preach  to  a  congregation  at  least 
twice  a  week,  he  would  preach  in  his  sleep.  He  would  re- 
peat the  hymns,  call  on  some  one  to  pray,  and  then  take  a 
text  and  preach  in  a  regular  manner,  but  so  loud  that  it  drew 
the  attention  of  the  neighbors,  who  would  gather  about  the 
house  to  listen.  This  so  humiliated  the  wife  that  she  gladly 
yielded  to  his  preaching  regularly. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

MR.  REDFIELD  visited  Newburgh  just  before  the  camp 
meeting  held  near  there  that  year.  He  endeavored,  as  usual, 
to  present  the  truths  of  real  Methodism.  Some  Episcopa- 
lians who  had  united  with  the  church,  entered  into  the  expe- 
rience of  holiness,  and  shouted  in  their  new-found  liberty ; 
while  some  Methodists  who  had  never  belonged  to  any  other 
church,  became  angry  and  opposed  the  work.  The  pastor 
was  displeased,  but  the  old  presiding  elder  stood  by  the  doc- 
trine, the  experience,  and  the  work. 

In  its  early  history  Newburgh  was  completely  under  the 
control  of  infidels,  who  intimidated  Christians  and  those  who 
desired  to  be  Christians.  They  were  very  violent  and  blas- 
phemous, but  nearly  all  of  them  died  violent  deaths,  and  their 
passing  away  left  impressions  that  went  far  to  contract  the 
influence  of  their  lives.  Mr.  Redfield  spent  but  a  few  days 
here,  as  the  camp  meeting  soon  commenced. 

At  the  camp  meeting  he  did  not  feel  much  liberty  for  a 
day  or  two.  There  was  evidently  an  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  preachers  to  get  along  without  him.  On 
Thursday  afternoon,  one  of  the  preachers,  after  exhaust- 
ing his  skill  in  trying  to  make  things  go,  turned  and 
said:  "Brother  Redfield,  can't  you  do  something?"  He 
answered  in  a  loud  voice,  "No!  but  I  know  of  one  that  can. 
The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  take  the  whole  matter  into  his 
own  hands,  and  no  man  can  stay  it,  if  you  begin  at  the  right 
end  by  getting  holiness."  He  was  permitted  to  take  the 
meeting,  and  in  his  peculiar  way  he  set  forth  the  con- 
ditions of  full  salvation,  and  called  upon  all  who  would  meet 
these  conditions  to  kneel  at  the  mourner's  bench.  They 
were  in  a  large  prayer-meeting  tent.  Many  immediately 
knelt,  evidently  understanding  what  they  were  about.  But 
scarcely  had  they  engaged  in  prayer  before  the  slaying  power 

(191) 


192  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

fell  upon  them,  and  sinners,  without  an  invitation  rushed  for- 
ward to  find  a  place  to  kneel  as  seekers.  The  tent  was  eighty 
feet  long  with  a  row  of  seats  running  the  whole  length 
through  the  center.  During  the  remainder  of  the  camp 
meeting,  without  cessation,  that  bench  was  filled  with  seekers, 
and  sometimes  two  and  three  rows  on  each  side,  the  men  on 
one  side,  and  the  women  on  the  other.  As  soon  as  any  were 
converted,  they  would  be  taken  away  to  make  room  for 
others,  and  there  seemed  to  be  some  one  waiting  to  take  the 
vacant  place  at  all  times.  No  one  had  to  exhort,  or  to  per- 
suade penitents  to  come.  God  was  there  in  awful  power. 
One  remarkable  thing  was  that  many,  in  relating  their  expe- 
riences, testified  that  they  were  convicted  at  their  homes  two 
and  three  miles  away,  and  on  coming  to  the  campground, 
were  drawn  to  this  tent.  Nothing  was  said  at  any  time  on 
the  subject  of  dress,  yet  fashionable  ladies,  with  their  bonnets 
filled  with  artificial  flowers,  would  struggle  and  weep  and 
cry,  and  when  all  else  failed,  would  put  up  both  hands  and 
tear  the  flowers  out,  and  in  a  few  moments,  smiling  through 
their  tears,  they  would  make  the  woods  ring  with  their 
shouts  of  joy. 

Such  was  the  crowd  of  penitents  that  it  was  necessary  to 
open  another,  though  a  smaller  tent,  for  those  seeking  holi- 
ness; and  these  two  tents  became  great  centres  of  spiritual 
power. 

The  first  night  after  starting  the  meeting  in  the  second 
tent,  when  ten  o'clock  came,  the  hour  for  closing  all  services 
according  to  the  rules,  the  meeting  in  this  tent  was  going  on 
in  greater  power  than  at  any  time  before.  The  Committee 
of  Order  sent  one  of  their  number  to  close  the  meeting. 
When  he  came  several  remonstrated  with  him  against  his 

O 

action,  but  he  persisted  in  it.  While  engaged  in  his  effort, 
he  was  suddenly  stricken  to  the  ground;  and  the  Spirit 
seemed  to  be  poured  out  in  greater  power  still.  The  incrca-cd 
noise  showed  the  other  members  of  the  committee  that  their 


EFFORTS  TO  CLOSE  A  MEETING.  193 

man  had  not  succeeded,  and  they  despatched  a  more  resolute 
one  to  his  assistance.  He  had  not  more  than  reached  the 
tent  before  he  was  also  smitten  to  the  ground.  Again  the 
shouts  of  praise  and  the  cries  for  help  from  the  Lord  rose 
higher  and  stronger  than  before.  A  third  man  was  then 
sent  with  orders  to  bring  the  meeting  to  a  close,  at  all  haz- 
ards. When  he  arrived  and  saw  the  other  two  committee- 
men  prostrate,  he  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  informed  the  re- 
maining members  of  the  condition  of  the  first  two,  and  that 
if  they  desired  the  meeting  closed  they  must  do  it,  for  he 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  The  meeting  was  no 
more  interfered  with,  and  ran  on  until  after  daylight  the  next 
morning.  It  was  estimated  that  more  than  one  hundred 
were  converted  in  the  other  tent  during  the  night.  When 
we  consider  that  this  wonderful  work  commenced  immedi- 
ately after  Mr.  Redfield  took  hold  of  the  meeting  in  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  afternoon  previous,  we  cannot  but  con- 
clude that  it  was  a  demonstration  of  the  correctness  of  his 
method. 

This  incident  gives  a  clue  to  his  wondrous  power  to  break 
through  to  victory  on  occasions  like  that;  and  also  illustrates 
the  close  alliance  of  the  two  phases  of  revival  work, — sancti- 
fication  and  pardon. 

The  afternoon  following,  Mr.  Redfield  was  leading  a 
meeting  for  holiness,  and  while  pointing  out  the  details  of 
perfect  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  an  old  minister  pres- 
ent, exclaimed,  "You  lay  too  many  burdens  on  the  people;" 
but  when  Mr.  Redfield  came  to  speak  of  the  final  act  of 
faith,  he  cried  out,  "You  make  it  too  easy."  When  Mr. 
Redfield  finished  speaking,  the  same  old  minister  said  to  him, 
"If  I  could  see  this  course  accompanied  with  demonstrations 
of  power,  I  would  think  more  favorably  of  it."  Just  then  a 
call  came  for  Mr.  Redfield  to  go  to  another  tent  where  sev- 
eral persons  were  anxiously  seeking,  and  he  invited  the  old 
minister  to  go  with  him,  saying,  "Perhaps  the  Lord  will  give 


io,4  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

you  the  demonstration  you  desire."  When  they  arrived  at 
the  tent  they  found  a  large  number  of  persons  present,  all 
seated,  but  some  of  them  in  deep  struggles  of  soul. 

In  his  own  account  of  this  matter,  he  says,  "Among  them 
was  a  large,  strong  woman,  whom  none  would  call  nervous, 
but  who  was  wringing  her  hands,  swaying  back  and  forth, 
and  audibly  praying,  'O  Lord,  I  must  have  it;  I  shall'  die 
without  it.  I  can't  live  any  longer  in  this  manner.'  I  per- 
ceived that  her  consecration  was  complete,  but  she  was  mak- 
ing the  mistake  of  trying  to  obtain  the  experience  by  will 
power.  All  present  seemed  to  expect  me  to  get  down  and 
by  vociferous  praying  to  heighten  her  emotions,  and  by  this 
tempest  to  help  them  all.  But  instead  of  that  I  sat  down  by 
her  side  and  endeavored  to  get  her  attention.  This  was  quite 
difficult  to  do,  but  I  finally  succeeded,  and  then  I  inquired: 

"'What  do  you  want?' 

"  'Oh,'  said  she, '  I  want  to  be  entirely  sanctified.' 

"'How  much  do  you  want  it?' 

"  'Oh,  I  would  give  all  I  have.' 

"'Are  you  sure  of  that?  Are  you  willing  I  should  turn 
your  heart  inside  out,  and  let  all  your  desires  be  seen  just  as 
they  are?' 

"'Yes,  I  am,'  she  replied. 

"  'Well,  I  can't  do  that,  but  I  asked  it  for  your  own  bene- 
fit. You  now  know  you  are  honest.  This  is  the  starting 
point,  honesty.  Don't  let  the  devil  drive  you  from  that 
point.  Now,  with  that  honesty,  can  you,  will  you  say,  The 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done?' 

"  'I  do,'  was  her  prompt  reply. 

"  'Will  you  say  this,  and  let  God  take  you  at  your  word 
in  a  moment?' 

"  'I  will,'  she  answered,  very  emphatically. 

"  I  then  described  to  her  a  possible  example  of  suffering, 
and  remarked :  'Remember,  God  may  take  you  at  your  word. 


LEADING  A  CONVERT  INTO  THE  EXPERIENCE.       195 

Now,  in  view  of  anything  he  may  ask,  do  you  yet  say,  'Thy 
will  be  done?' 

"Again  she  answered,  'Yes.' 

"I  then  described  to  her  an  example  of  duty,  of  going 
from  house  to  house  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  she 
lived,  and  asked:  'Will  you  do  this  if  God  wills  it?' 

"She  answered:  'I  will  do  that  when  I  have  the  grace  to 
do  it  with.' 

"  'But,  sister,  is  God  at  fault,  that  you  have  not  the  grace 
of  perfect  love  up  to  this  time?' 

"'Oh,  no!  God  is  not  at  fault.' 

"  'Well,  can  you,  will  you,  say,  blessing  or  no  blessing,  if 
visiting  and  exhorting  from  house  to  house  would  be  my 
duty  if  I  had  the  blessing,  I  will  not  let  my  disobedience  in 
the  past  be  an  excuse  for  disobedience  in  the  future;  I.  will 
go  and  do  that  duty  ?' 

"  'Yes,  I  will,'  she  replied. 

'"Well,  sister,  who  has  required  all  this  of  you?' 

"  Enquiringly  she  looked  up  and  said,  'Jesus;  has  he  not?' 

"'Oh,  yes!'  I  replied;  'and  now  I  ask,  sister,  if  Jesus  has 
required  all  this  and  you  have  surrendered,  do  you  believe  he 
will  ever  accept  of  it?' 

"  'Most  certainly,'  said  she,  'for  he  ia  not  trifling  with  me. 
He  will,  won't  he?' 

"  'Oh,  I  don't  doubt  it,'  said  I.  'But  the  only  question  now 
is,  sister,  ivhen  do  you  think  he  will  accept  of  what  you  have 
just  surrendered?' 

"She  stopped  as  if  a  new  thought  had  struck  her;  her 
face  changed,  and  the  next  moment  she  shrieked  out,  'NOW !' 
and  fell  to  the  ground,  where  she  lay  and  made  the  woods 
ring  with  her  hallelujahs. 

"But  I  do  not  think  the  old  minister  was  satisfied  with 
this  exhibition,  for  he  shortly  after  was  making  complaints 
of  some  who  fell  while  they  were  repeating  the  doxology, 
though  several  were  converted  and  a  number  sanctified. 


196  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDI  IKKD. 

"The  sister  who  came  out  so  brightly,  went  home  from 
the  camp  meeting,  lived  a  faithful  life,  and  died  triumphantly 
a  few  years  after." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  camp  meeting  described  in  the  last 
chapter,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  a  small  village  a  few  miles 
away  to  spend  the  Sabbath.  A  number  of  retired  business 
men,  residing  in  the  village,  had  built  a  commodious  church 
and  had  presented  it  to  the  Methodists.  The  preacher  ap- 
pointed had  staid  away  from  the  camp  meeting  to  prepare  a 
controversial  sermon  on  baptism,  which  Mr.  Redfield  was 
destined  to  hear  the  following  Sunday.  Of  course  the  ap- 
pointment was  out  for  this  special  sermon,  and  the  door  for 
the  evangelist  was  closed  for  the  morning.  The  minister 
was  careful  to  keep  it  closed  in  the  evening,  also.  An  invi- 
tation to  conclude  the  service  gave  an  opportunity. for  a  brief 
exhortation,  in  which  Mr.  Redfield  set  forth  the  type  of  relig- 
ion that  would  save.  The  minister  was  very  restless,  but 
did  not  interfere.  At  the  close  of  the  service  one  of  the  men 
who  had  built  the  church  came  to  the  minister  and  asked 
who  the  stranger  was  who  had  spoken.  The  preacher 
thinking  he  was  about  to  be  reprimanded  for  allowing  Mr. 
Redfield  to  speak,  began  to  apologize,  and  said,  "He  is  a 
local  preacher  from  New  York  city." 

"Well,"  said  the  inquirer,  "if  that  is  Methodist  doctrine, 
why  do  you  trifle  with  us  as  you  have,  by  giving  us  bosh? 
Why  not  like  an  honest  man  tell  us  the  truth?" 

The  poor  preacher  for  the  time  was  humbled. 

Mr.  Redfield  began  to  observe  many  such  instances  of 
unfaithfulness,  while  men  of  less  talent  and  learning  but 
more  zeal  and  faith,  and  consequently  more  efficient,  were 
either  kept  out  of  the  conferences,  or  crowded  out  on  to  the 
frontiei's.  He  also  found  that  some  of  these,  both  in  the  min- 
istry and  the  laity,  like  the  one  just  described,  seemed  to  con- 
spire against  genuine  Methodism.  He  saw  that  Asbury, 
15  (197) 


198  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  K  KDI  IKI.D. 

Braimvell,  Abbott  and  Nelson  would  not  be  tolerated  by 
such  ministers.  He  saw  the  lives  of  these  worthies  on  sale 
at  the  book  rooms,  and  sometimes  peddled  among  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church  by  these  ministers  who  took  pains  to 
hold  up  to  ridicule  those  who  strove  to  walk  the  same  way. 
This  caused  him  seasons  of  great  depression  of  spirits.  At 
these  times  he  would  be  greatly  tempted  to  give  up  the  bat- 
tle. Sometimes  he  would  conclude  that  he  had  looked  on 
the  dark  side  so  much,  that  he  might  be  deceived  as  to  the 
real  state  of  things. 

Just  at  this  time  Sister  Phoebe  Palmer  informed  him  of 
a  brother  in  Western  New  York  who  felt  the  same  as  he  did, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  same  kind  of  work.  He  determined 
to  find  this  brother  and  by  his  aid  settle  the  question  that 
troubled  him.  It  was  also  made  known  to  him  that  this 
strange  brother  desired  his  attendance  at  a  camp  meeting 
about  to  be  held,  and  he  needed  no  urging  to  accept  the  in- 
vitation, and  in  due  time  was  on  his  way  to  the  place. 

Speaking  of  his  visit  to  the  camp  meeting  and  of  his  in- 
troduction to  the  man  he  wished  to  meet,  Mr.  Redfield  says: 

"I  was  full  of  conjectures  as  to  the  appearance  and  spirit 
of  the  man  I  was  about  to  meet.  I  knew  some  Congrega- 
tionalists  and  Presbyterians  who  were  welcoming  the  doc- 
trine and  experience  of  holiness  as  it  had  been  taught  by  the 
early  Methodists;  but  to  see  a  living  Methodist  who  saw, felt, 
and  labored,  as  I  saw,  felt  and  labored,  was  to  be  to  me  a 
treat  indeed.  On  reaching  the  campground,  Sister  Palmer 
introduced  him  to  me.  He  was  very  cautious,  but  courteous 
and  hearty  in  his  deportment.  The  next  moment  he  was 
gone,  I  knew  not  where.  I  soon  heard  a  voice  leading  a 
holiness  meeting,  to  which  I  drew  near  and  listened  for 
some  time,  and  finally  said  to  myself,  *  I  am  not  alone  in  my 
peculiar  views  of  holiness.'  I  drew  nearer,  where  I  could 
see  as  well  as  hear,  and  found  the  speaker  to  be  the  very  man 
whom  I  had  come  so  far  to  see. 


NEWSPAPER  WAR  OVER  HOLINESS  199 

Referring  to  this  meeting,  Mr.  Redfield  continues:  "I 
went  into  the  stand  one  day  between  services,  and  found  my 
friend  in  conversation  with  a  pale,  sickly-appearing  man,  who 
was  confessing  to  him,  with  deep  emotion,  that  he  had 
wronged  him.  The  sick  man  said:  'I  expect  to  die;  I  want 
to  die  in  peace  with  all  men.  I  have  tried  to  injure  your  in- 
fluence, and  now  I  ask  your  pardon.'  This  was  readily 
granted;  and  soon  after  I  took  my  friend  aside  and  said  to 
him:  'My  brother,  that  confession  is  worth  something,  but 
I  think  you  should  never  let  it  be  known;  let  it  die  with  you.' 
But  how  greatly  was  I  shocked  to  see  in  the  public  prints  a 
short  time  after,  a  more  severe  criticism  on  my  friend  from 
this  same  man  than  he  had  ever  given  before. 

"This  man  included  Sister  Palmer  and  myself  in  these 
criticisms.  I  made  no  attempt  to  reply  to  him,  and  he  soon 
dropped  me.  But  Sister  Palmer,  or  some  one  for  her,  re- 
turned the  fire,  and  a  newspaper  war  upon  the  subject  of 
holiness  here  began,  which  to  my  knowledge  was  a  prime 
cause  of  awful  backsliding.  I  found  places  in  my  labors 
where  confessions  were  made  of  this  stamp: 

"'So  many  years  ago  I  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  holiness; 
but  when  I  saw  in  one  of  our  Methodist  papers  articles 
against  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  I  first  was  shocked,  and  then 
began  to  reason:  if  ministers,  who  ought  to  know  more  than 
I  do,  say  the  doctrine  is  untrue,  it  may  be  I  am  mistaken. 
And  giving  up  the  doctrine,  I  soon  lost  the  experience.'  One 
of  these  owned  up  that  it  brought  him  to  the  gutter. 

"Some  of  the  preachers  who  encouraged  the  sickly  man  I 
have  described,  a  few  years  after  were  glad  to  get  rid  of  him." 

From  this  camp  meeting  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  another, 
and  there  found  that  the  sickly  minister,  whose  confession  he 
had  heard,  had  so  cautioned  the  presiding  elder,  who  was  in 
charge,  against  him,  that  he  was  not  allowed  to  labor  much. 

From  here  he  went  to  Peekskill,  where  forty  or  fifty 
were  converted  in  a  few  days. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

FROM  Pcckskill  Mr.  Red  field  went,  on  invitation  of  the 
chaplain,  to  visit  the  Marine  Hospital  of  New  York  city. 
Not  knowing  his  congregation,  he  committed  himself  to  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  was  led  to  treat  them 
with  all  the  kindness  he  could  command.  The  main  drift  of 
his  preaching  was  to  offer  hope,  and  they  would  break  down 
and  cry  like  whipped  children.  Many  were  clearly  converted, 
and  \some  of  them  died  soon  after  in  the  triumphs  of  the 
Christian  faith.  He  staid  but  a  short  time,  and  after  he  was 
gone,  some  of  them  entreated  the  matron  to  send  for  him, 
"for,"  they  said,  "nobody  understands  us  as  he  does.  The 
ministers  who  come  here  think  we  are  a  hard  set  and  preach 
to  us  of  hell ;  and  that  don't  do  us  any  good,  for  we  are  used 
to  that;  but  when  one  preaches  to  us  kindly,  that  breaks  us 
all  down." 

When  Mr.  Redfield  heard  this  he  made  inquiries  in  regard 
to  these  broken-hearted  mariners  who  had  come  here  to  die^ 
and  found  that  many  of  them  had  served  terms  in  the  state's 
prison;  and,  when  discharged  had  changed  their  names  and 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  service.  This  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  him,  and  taught  him  that  these  men  were 
not  hypocrites;  that  the  terrors  of  the  law  do  such  no  good 
for  they  are  already  in  a  hopeless  state  of  mind.  Hope  only 
can  reach  them. 

He  went  from  here  to  the  Sing  Sing  state's  prison  by 
invitation  of  the  chaplain  of  that  institution.  Here  he  fol- 
lowed what  he  believed  were  the  leadings  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  preached  to  the  prisoners  in  the  same  manner  that  he  did 
to  the  sailors  in  the  hospital.  He  says:  "I  could  not  see  that 
they  were  different  from  the  mass  of  mankind.  These  had 
been  caught,  the  others  had  not.  I  felt  drawn  to  address 
their  better  nature;  if  possible  to  arouse  it  to  respond  to  the 

(200) 


AT  SING  SING  STATE'S  PRISON.  201 

truth  and  the  call  of  God.  I  told  them  God  condemned  men 
when  the  decision  is  made  to  commit  sin;  while  man  con- 
demned for  the  action  only.  I  tried  to  show  them  that  each 
had  redeeming  traits,  and  that  they  might,  if  they  would,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  rise  to  a  life  that  would  be  acceptable  in 
the  world  to  come.  That  though  men  might  look  upon 
them  as  degraded  and  lost,  yet  they  were  capable  of  bearing 
the  image  of  God.  To  men  they  might  appear  criminal, 
but  with  God  all  men  are  criminals.  What  if  men  do  brand 
you  with  names  of  dishonor  and  disgrace,  and  chisel  those 
names  in  the  monuments  of  human  remembrance;  and  what 
if  you  die  unhonored  and  are  buried  in  yonder  prison  grave- 
yard, and  no  stone  to  mark  the  spot?  if  you  will  avail  your- 
selves of  the  means  God  has  provided,  your  names  shall  be 
written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  and  angels  shall  keep 
watch  over  your  sleeping  dust,  and  in  the  morning  of  the 
resurrection  you  shall  come  forth  to  be  honored  by  the  King 
of  kings. 

"I" did  not  attempt  to  apologize  for  their  sin,  or  to  soften 
the  color  of  their  crimes,  but  tried  to  refer  the  question  of 
the  difference  between  them  and  the  rest  of  mankind  to  the 
judgment  day,  the  proper  place  for  the  settlement  of  the 
question.  I  told  them  that  it  was  honoring  themselves  to  say 
to  the  Almighty,  'Against  thee  and  thee  only  have  I  sinned.' 

"The  magical  effect  of  kind  words  addressed  to  their 
hopes  was  wonderful  to  behold  :  the  dropping  tear,  the 
anxious  look,  with  now  and  then  a  flash  of  gratitude,  as  they 
gazed  upon  a  poor  mortal  like  themselves,  who  instead  of 
upbraiding  them  was  endeavoring  to  induce  them  to  try  once 
more  to  rise  to  frue  manhood,  and  to  aspire  to  the  society  of 
heaven. 

"The  next  day  as  I  passed  through  the  prison,  I  thought 
I  experienced  some  of  the  emotions  of  the  Angel  of  Mercy. 
I  was  allowed  to  converse  with  some  of  the  prisoners,  and 
found  some  of  them  penitent,  and  quite  a  number  of  them 


202  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

genuinely  converted  to  God.  I  was  astonished  to  see  the 
depravity  and  entire  alienation  from  God  of  some.  Some 
awakened  ones  desired  me  to  step  one  side  that  they  might 
talk  freely  to  me.  One  among  them,  who  had  been  sen- 
tenced for  ten  years,  who  had  already  served  out  five,  and 
had  given  his  heart  to  Christ,  now  with  tears  running  down 
his  cheeks,  confessed  that  his  sentence  was  just ;  and  that  God 
in  mercy  had  allowed  him  to  come  to  that  place  for  his  own 
good.  He  said  he  had  not  a  relative  or  a  friend  to  come  to 
him  in  his  disgrace,  and  yet  he  was  so  happy  and  so  contented 
that  he  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  leaving  the  place  lest 
the  snares  of  the  world  should  entrap  him  again.  He  said, 
'When  T  go  to  my  cell  and  sit  down  on  my  bunk,  Jesus 
comes  and  sits  with  me,  and  we  have  such  sweet  communion 
that  I  would  rather  stay  here  than  lose  it.' 

"The  warden  told  me  that  there  were  some  prisoners  so 
violent  that  they  had  to  be  kept  with  a  ball  and  chain  fast- 
ened to  their  ankles.  They  had  once  taken  a  stand  in  one  of 
the  cells,  in  defiance  of  the  authority  of  the  prison,  refusing 
to  obey  orders. 

"I  asked  if  I  might  see  them.  The  warden  answered,  *  I 
don't  know  whether  it  is  safe.'  I  pleaded,  'Just  give  me  per- 
mission to  go  to  them.'  This  was  finally  granted,  and  I  went 
in  and  sat  down  among  them  without  any  manifestation  of 
fear,  and  trusted  myself  to  them.  In  the  spirit  of  kindness  I 
conversed  with  them.  They  claimed  they  had  been  greatly 
abused.  But  I  appealed  to  their  sense  of  right  and  wrong; 
that  it  was  their  duty  to  do  right  whether  others  did  or  not. 
My  kindness  of  manner  and  speech,  and  my  treating  them 
as  though  they  were  reasonable  beings  touched  them,  and 
soon  they  consented  to  change  their  course  and  submit  to  the 
discipline  of  the  prison. 

"I  found  one  man,  a  foreigner,  who  from  not  under- 
standing our  laws,  had  committed  an  offense  in  an  effort  to 
show  kindness  to  one  apparently  in  distress,  and  had  received 


OBTAINING  A  PARDON.  203 

a  sentence  of  five  years  at  hard  labor.  The  warden  was 
greatly  interested  in  his  case,  and  was  desirous  that  some  one 
should  make  an  effort  to  obtain  a  pardon  for  him.  I  under- 
took it  with  the  assistance  of  another  gentleman.  It  was 
necessary  to  get  at  all  the  facts  in  his  case  so  as  to  lay  them 
before  the  governor  of  the  state.  In  order  to  have  access  to 
the  man  for  this  purpose,  I  was  obliged  to  hire  him  of  the 
state ;  and  to  meet  the  expenses,  it  was  necessary  to  furnish 
him  with  employment.  The  only  employment  at  hand  that 
the  man  was  fitted  for  required  a  second  man,  and  one  more 
skilled  than  he.  The  second  man  was  a  genius  in  his  way. 
He  was  serving  out  his  fifth  sentence.  He  was  very  ambi- 
tious to  excel,  and  loved  to  be  appreciated,  and  withal  very 
affable  and  agreeable.  But  he  seemed  to  have  a  passion  for 
stealing.  The  first  man  told  me  I  must  be  on  my  guard  or 
he  would  pick  my  pockets.  He  also  told  me  that  the  man 
kept  an  old  bag  in  a  by-place  in  which  he  hid  bits  of  coal 
and  bits  of  cloth  clipped  from  prison  garments  brought  to 
him  to  be  mended.  In  regard  to  the  first  of  the  two  men, 
the  effort  to  obtain  a  pardon  succeeded,  and  he  went  forth  a 
free  man.  • 

"While  engaged  in  the  effort  to  procure  this  pardon,  I  saw 
several  instances  of  the  fidelity  of  woman's  love  in  the  face 
of  disgrace  brought  upon  the  family.  Wives  came  to  visit 
their  husbands  who  were  prisoners,  but  though  there  were 
several  married  women  in  the  prison,  there  was  not  a  single 
instance  of  a  husband  coming  to  visit  his  wife  {luring  all  the' 
time  I  was  there." 

During  his  stay  at  Sing  Sing  he  held  a  series  of  meetings 
in  the  town.  As  usual,  the  doctrine  and  experience  of  holi- 
ness was  made  a  prominent  feature.  There  was  much  oppo- 
sition, but  victory  was  won  for  God  and  his  truth,  and  many 
were  saved. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

ABOUT  this  time  the  preacher  from  Bridgeport,  Connec- 
ticut, came  to  Mr.  Redfield  and  invited  him  to  assist  him  in 
revival  services  at  that  place.  He  said: 

"We  must  have  a  revival  or  lose  our  church.  Our  peo- 
ple have  been  robbed  for  years  of  the  fruit  of  their  labors  by 
the  proselyting  system  of  other  churches;  and  they  at  last 
came  to  the  conclusion  to  build  a  church  which  would  overtop 
all  others,  and  thus  gain  a  position  in  the  community  which 
would  command  respect.  But  now  we  must  lose  it,  for  we 
are  owing  twelve  thousand  dollars,  and  we  cannot  raise  that 
amount.  "  You  must  come  and  help  us." 

Mr.  Redfield  replied,  "I  am  sorry  your  people  have  been 
trying  to  win  a  name  by  worldly  policy.  I  dread  to  meet  the 
spirit  which  such  a  state  of  things  is  sure  to  foster.  My  ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  such  a  state  of  things  is  against 
the  faithful  preaching  of  the  doctrine  and  experience  of  holi- 
ness." 

The  preacher  acknowledged  the  mistake  of  the  people, 
but  said,  "We  have  it,  and  can't  afford  to  throw,  it  away. 
What  can  we  do?  Must  we  give  it  up  and  let  Methodism 
be  driven  out  of  the  place?  Or  shall  we  try  to  save  if?" 

Mr.  Redfield  finally  said,  "I  will  go;'  but  it  was  with  a 
heavy  heart.  He  knew  God  would  hold  him  responsible  for 
the  faithful  presentation  of  the  truth  and  thorough  dealing 
with  men.  He  was  almost  certain  that  he  would  meet  with 
great  opposition.  Referring  to  the  state  of  things  at  this 
place,  he  says: 

"When  I  arrived  I  saw  a  stately  edifice,  eclipsing  all  oth- 
ers in  exterior  splendor.  Two  great  towers,  one  bearing  a 
bell  and  the  other  a  clock,  reared  their  massive  proportions 
in  front;  the  whole  of  antique  architecture  and  'loud'  ap- 
pearance. My  heart  ached  in  view  of  the  prospect.  I 
thought,  *  This  course  will  destroy  the  last  vestige  of  real 

(2M) 


AT  BRIDGEPORT,  CONN.  205 

Methodism,  unless  God  come  to  the  rescue.'  I  could  see 
none  among  the  ministry  who  dared  to  risk  their  chances  of 
preferment  by  attempting  to  stem  the  tide.  But  somebody, 
must  fearlessly  take  sides  with  God,  and  he  will  possibly  be 
crushed  for  his  pains.  I  thought  I  comprehended  the  situa- 
tion; I  realized  my  own  weakness;  but  I  resolved  in  the 
name  of  God  and  pure  religion  to  do  my  duty.  When  I  had 
done  so,  I  felt  a  strengthening  of  my  soul,  and  the  sweet  as- 
surance that  God  approved  of  the  vow." 

In  his  preaching,  from  the  commencement,  he  endeavored 
to  arraig'n  the  conscience  before  God.  At  the. close  of  the 
first  service  the  pastor,  on  the  way  home,  asked  if  a  less 
objectionable  class  of  truths  could  not  be  used.  Mr.  Red- 
field  replied:  "Do  you  think  Jesus  would  mutilate  the  truth, 
and  tacitly  give  men  to  think  that  he  had  preached  the 
whole?  and  this  when  he  had  not  touched  the  real  evil  of 
the  case?" 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I  am  afraid  your  course  will  ruin  us." 

"Brother,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "what  time  does  the  next 
train  leave  here?" 

"Why,  you  must  not  leave?" 

"O  my  brother,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  certainly  shall 
leave  if  I  cannot  go  the  Bible  track.  I  will  allow  you  to  call  me 
to  account  at  any  time  when  you  find  me  outside  the  Bible 
and  the  Methodist  discipline,  but  I  must  be  free  to  preach  the 
whole  truth." 

"Well,"  said  he,  "you  must  stay,  and  we  must  have  a 
revival  or  lose  our  church." 

"I  feel  no  interest  in  your  saving  your  church  in  the  pres- 
ent condition  of  things.  It  would  be  no  calamity  to  religion 
to  lose  it,  unless  it  can  better  represent  Methodism  than  it 
does  at  present." 

Said  the  preacher,  "You  must  stay ;  and  do  be  as  easy 
with  us  as  you  can." 

Mr.  Redfield  replied,  "I'll  be  as  easy  as  God  will  let  me, 


206  LIFE  OF  JOHN  \V.  RKDFIKKD. 

but  no  more  so;  and   I  wonder  that  any  one  can  ask   me  to 
lower  the  standard  of  the  only  religion  that  can  save!" 

Mr.  Rcdfield  went  on  with  his  work  in  the  name  of  God 
and  truth.  In  one  of  the  afternoon  meetings  Fay  H.  Purdy, 
who  was  assisting  him,  fell  to  the  floor  while  Mr.  Redfield 
was  praying.  This  was  something  new  to  the  congregation, 
and  unexpected  to  the  minister.*  The  husband  of  one  of 
the  members,  a  man  who  paid  well,  but  was  without  salva- 
tion, arose,  apparently  in  great  anger,  and  left  the  house.  At 
this  the  preacher  became  alarmed.  After  a  little,  one  sister 
arose  and  began  to  confess  to  dancing,  playing  cards,  novel 
reading,  and  conformity  to  the  world.  The  preacher  became 
very  uneasy,  and  finally  arose  and  cautioned  the  people 
against  looking  on  the  dark  side,  and  referred  them  to  the 
old  prophet  who  complained  that  he  only  was  left  to  serve 
Gou;  and  how  God  corrected  him  with  the  assurance  that 
there  were  seven  thousand  in  the  land  who  had  not  bowed 
the  knee  to  Baal. 

Mr.  Redfield  saw  the  tendency  of  this  was  bad,  and 
arising,  said:  "That  is  all  true  in  the  case  of  the  old  prophet; 
but  I  insist  that  if  these  members  have  been  dancing,  card- 
playing,  novel-reading,  and  behaving  in  general  as  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus  ought  not,  it  is  due  to 
him  and  the  truth  and  the  world  that  they  confess  their  sins 
as  publicly  as  they  have  committed  them.  It  is  only  thus 
they  can  restore  themselves  to  the  confidence  of  the  world  as 
the  representatives  of  the  religion  of  Jesus.  The  cause  of 
Jesus  has  been  slandered  by  their  conduct;  and  is  in  disrepute 
because  of  it.  Common  honesty  demands  that  the  wrong 
should  be  charged  where  it  belongs.  If  Jesus  has  not  dis- 
graced his  own  cause,  do  not  compel  him  to  bear  the  odium 
that  now  rests  upon  it.  If  they  have  done  this  thing,  it  is 
the  honorable  way  for  them  to  say  to  the  world  that  neither 
Jesus  nor  his  gospel  is  at  fault." 

The  Lord  soon  began  to  manifest  himself  in  great  power 
•Rev.  Clement  Combos,  who  was  present. 


FAITHFUL  WORK.  207 

in  the  conviction,  conversion,  and  sanctification  of  souls. 
When  victory  began  to  seem  certain,  the  other  churches  be- 
gan to  accuse  Mr.  Redfield  of  bigotry,  because  he  had  not 
invited  them  to  participate  in  the  meetings.  His  experience 
in  other  places  enabled  him  to  perceive  the  motive  that  un- 
derlay this,  and  that  was  their  desire  to  gather  the  converts 
into  their  own  churches.  He  also  saw  that  it  would  not  do 
arbitrarily  to  rule  them  out,  and  that  it  would  be  for  the  good 
of  all  concerned  if  they,  like  the  Methodists,  should  become 
as  thoroughly  reformed.  He  then  gave  them  an  invitation 
to  unite  in  the  work,  but  at  the  same  time  insisted  that  they 
should  humble  themselves  before  the  Lord,  and  that  as  many 
of  them  as  had  been  addicted  to  dancing,  and  card  playing, 
etc.,  should  make  the  same  confessions  the  Methodists  had. 
He  told  them  they  would  have  to  do  this  if  they  ever  re- 
gained the  confidence  of  the  community,  and  were  in  a  con- 
dition to  assist  in  the  work.  This  had  a  salutary  effect.  It 
removed  the  objection  which  had  been  made,  and  put  the  re- 
sponsibility of  their  non-affiliation  where  it  belonged. 

One  of  the  ministers  still  stood  out  upon  the  technical  ob- 
jection that  he  had  not  been  invited  in  writing.  But  his 
motive  was  so  apparent  that  his  attitude  was  no  hinderance 
to  the  work.  He  was  the  one  above  all  others  who  had  de- 
spised the  Methodists,  and  yet  had  labored  the  hardest  to 
gather  their  converts  into  his  church. 

The  skeptical  portion  of  the  community  now  put  forth  an 
effort  to  check  the  work  by  disturbing  the  services,  and  the 
strong  arm  of  the  law  had  to  be  invoked  to  stop  their  pro- 
ceedings. The  same  persons  then  attempted  to  accomplish 
their  purpose  by  petty  annoyances  beneath  the  notice  of  the 
law.  To  meet  this,  one  Sunday  evening  at  the  opening  of 
the  service,  Mr.  Redfield  told  the  Christians  present  not  to 
fear  the  opposition,  for  victory  was  as  certain  as  that  God 
was  the  author  of  the  gospel.  God  might  allow  these  an- 
noyances and  persecutions  for  a  while,  but  if  they  were  likely 


2o8  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDKIELD. 

seriously  to  hinder  the  work,  he  would  take  life  if  necessary 
to  stop  them.  He  then  related  a  number  of  instances  of  this 
character  which  had  come  under  his  own  observation.  The 
next  day,  at  dinner,  in  a  house  opposite  the  church,  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  family  residing  there,  amused  the  company  by  re- 
lating what  Mr.  Rcdfield  said,  and  characterized  it  as  an  at- 
tempt to  frighten  the  people,  and  said,  "I  would  like  to  know 
who  will  be  the  first  to  be  knocked  down  in  this  place  for 
ridiculing  religion.  Let  us  try  it!"  She  then  began  clap- 
ping her  hands,  and  shouting,  "Glory,  glory,  glory,"  and  in- 
stantly fell  to  the  floor  in  great  agony.  Word  went  cut  that 
she  was  dead,  and  was  smitten  down  while  ridiculing  relig- 
ion. An  eye-witness  of  the  scene  related  it  in  a  large  board- 
ing house,  where  were  a  number  who  had  been  engaged  in  a 
similar  manner,  and  who  were  now  greatly  shocked  at  what 
they  heard.  All  opposition  of  this  kind  now  ceased  and  the 
revival  went  forward  with  increased  power.  In  a  few  weeks 
over  five  hundred  were  converted. 

The  young  girl  who  was  so  suddenly  stricken  down  lay 
four  or  five  days  in  that  condition,  and  then  was  restored,  but 
with  a  permanently  Impaired  mind. 

As  Mr.  Redfield  was  about  to  go  to  another  place,  the 

minister  in  B said,  "Before  you  go  you  must  take  the 

converts  into  the  church."  It  was  arranged  for  this  to  be 
done  the  following  Sunday.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  in 
the  morning,  Mr.  Redfield  requested  all  who  desired  to  unite 
with  the  church,  to  come  forward  and  be  seated  in  the  front 
pews.  A  large  number  came,  when  he  addressed  them  as 
follows: 

"It  is  your  duty  to  unite  with  some  church.  You  need 
to  be  under  its  watch-care.  I  do  not  ask  you  to  join  the 
Methodists,  nor  do  we  want  you  unless  you  are  in  every  es- 
sential point  a  Methodist.  I  do  not  know  as  one  here  desires 
to  join  the  Methodists,  but  if  there  should  be,  I  will  tell  you 
what  we  shall  expect  of  you.  We  desire  no  one  to  come 


ADDRESS  TO  CANDIDATES.  209 

among  us  who  will  engage  in  proselyting  from  other 
churches.  We  shall  expect  you  to  live  up  to  our  rules. 
(Here  he  read  the  General  Rules  of  the  Discipline,  comment- 
ing on  them  as  he  passed  along.)  You  perceive  from  these, 
there  can  be  on  your  part  no  more  dancing,  nor  card-playing, 
nor  novel-reading,  nor  pleasure  parties,  nor  wearing  of  jew- 
elry, nor  worldly  conformity.  This  may  seem  hard  to  you, 
but  there  are  other  churches  that  are  not  so  strict  as  this, 
where  you  will  be  welcome.  You  will  only  be  a  curse  to  us 
by  your  example  and  influence  if  you  do  not  conform  to  our 
rules.  Some  of  you  know  how  faithfully  we  have  had  to 
deal  with  some  here  during  these  meetings,  who  have  lived 
contrary  to  these  rules.  And  I  would  say,  if  there  are  any 
still  among  us  who  are  not  in  sympathy  with  our  rules,  and 
have  not  determined  to  obey  them,  you  had  better  do  so  im- 
mediately, or  take  your  letters  and  go  where  things  are  more 
to  your  mind."  (Here  the  preacher  became  very  uneasy, 
and  Mr.  Redfield  expected  to  be  called  to  order,  but  he  was 
allowed  to  proceed.) 

"I  have  now  told  you  only  what  you  cannot  do  and  be  a 
Methodist.  I  will  now  tell  you  what  you  must  do  to  be  a 
Methodist.  We  shall  expect  of  you  a  faithful  attendance 
upon  all  the  means  of  grace;  class  and  prayer  meetings,  the 
preaching  services,  and  family  religion.  We  shall  expect 
you  to  be  active  in  seeking  the  conversion  of  sinners,  by  per- 
sonal labof  for  them  and  with  them.  You  will  be  expected 
to  make  religion  the  first  business  of  your  lives.  All  worldly 
matters  are  to  be  considered  but  the  small  chores  of  life.  If 
you  cannot  make  this  pledge  to  us,  that  you  will  conform  to 
these  rules,  you  had  better  go  where  it  will  not  be  required 
of  you.  If  you  go  elsewhere  to  have  the  privilege  of  a  life 
of  inactivity  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  of  doing  as  you  please 
in  loving  the  world  and  conforming  to  it,  you  will  come,  by 
and  by,  to  death,  how  soon  none  can  tell;  it  may  be  a  year; 
a  month;  a  week;  and  you  will  open  your  eyes  to  see  that 


2io  LIFE  OK  JOHN  VV.  RKDFIELD. 

you  have  exerted  an  influence,  which  is  still  in  operation,  that 
turns  immortal  souls  out  of  the  way  to  heaven,  and  into  the 
way  to  ruin.  Now  pass  on  to  the  judgment  and  see  how  it 
will  appear  there.  Behold  the  souls  .over  which  your  influ- 
ence preponderated,  like  the  grain  of  sand  which  turns  the 
scale,  and  fixed  their  destiny  forever  among  the  lost.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  you  choose  to  join  where  all  these  things  are 
required  of  you,  which  you  perceive  are  in  harmony  with 
the  word  of  God,  your  influence  will  be  felt,  and  will  tell  on 
the  side  of  salvation.  If  your  probation  in  this  life  should 
be  long  or  short,  in  death  you  may  pillow  your  head  on  the 
bosom  of  Jesus,  and  leave  behind  you  an  influence  in  the 
Christian  activity  of  those  whom  you  helped  to  decide  aright, 
that  shall  work  on  through  the  ages  while  you  are  sleeping 
in  the  dust;  and  in  the  great  day  of  God  there  shall  stand 
among  the  redeemed  the  blessed  fruit  of  your  decision,  to  re- 
joice with  you  forever." 

Both  the  church  and  the  preacher,  if  Mr.  Redfield  rightly 
interpreted  the  indications,  were  in  great  fear  as  to  the  re- 
sults of  this  address.  But  when  he  asked  those  who  wished 
to  do  so,  to  give  their  names  to  the  church,  more  than  one 
hundred  responded;  and  in  a  few  days  some  four  hundred 
more  did  the  same.  And  what  was  peculiar,  not  a  single  one 
united  with  any  other  denomination.  Soon  after  this,  the 
debt  that  hung  over  their  church  property  was  paid,  and  a 
second  church  had  to  be  built  to  accommodate  the  congrega- 
tion. This  demonstrated  that  faithful  work  makes  good 
Methodists. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Redfield  met  with  the  following  an- 
ecdote which  gave  him  much  encouragement: 

"When  Elijah  Iledding,  who  afterwards  became  bishop, 
was  stationed  in  or  near  Boston,  a  servant  girl  of  the  cele- 
brated Hancock  family,  was  a  member  of  his  church.  One 
Sunday  she  took  home  from  the  church  library  a  volume  of 
Wesley's  sermons.  Soon  after  the  lady  of  the  house  picked 


ANECDOTE  OK  BISHOP  HEDDING.  211 

it  up  and  after  reading  in  it  for  some  time,  called  the  girl  and 
asked  where  the  book  came  from.  The  girl  informed  her, 
and  added,  'Our  minister  preaches  just  like  that  every  Sun- 
day.' The  lady  inquired  his  name,  his  street  and  number, 
and  then  ordered  her  carriage  and  drove  to  his  house.  Mr. 
Hedding  himself  answered  the  bell,  and  she  asked,  'Is  this 
the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Heckling?' 

"  'That  is  my  name,'  he  replied,  and  invited  her  in.  When 
they  were  seated,  she  said, 

"'I  have  come  to  talk  with  you  about  joining  your  church.' 

"Mr.  Hedcling  looked  at  her  in  surprise, — at  her  attire,  at 
her  carriage  before  the  door,  and  concluded  there  must  be 
some  mistake  in  the  matter.  He  asked:  'To  what  circum- 
stance am  I  indebted  for  this  call?' 

"She  then  related  to  him  the  incident  of  the  volume  of 
sermons,  and  the  remark  of  the  servant  girl,  and  then  added: 
'Those  so  fully  accord  with  my  views  of  what  a  Christian 
life  should  be  that  I  hasten  to  identify  myself  with  the  people 
who  hold  to  those  views.' 

"  'But,  madam,'  said  Mr.  Hedding,  'do  you  know  our 
discipline,  and  can  you  conform  to  our  rules?' 

"He  then  opened  the  book  and  read  them  to  her,  and 
repeated  the  question. 

"She  replied  promptly :  'I  can,  and  will.' 

"Still  desirous  of  dealing  faithfully  with  her,  and  to  get 
rid  of  her  if  she  was  not  willing  to  be  a  Methodist  indeed, 
he  said:  'Madam,  you  are  a  stranger  to  me,  but  as  we  are  to 
have  a  love-feast  next  Sunday  morning,  you  had  better  come 
to  that;  and  in  the  meantime  I  will  consult  with  my  official 
brethren,  and,  if  there  is  no  objection,  I  will  receive  you  on 
probation.' 

"She  came  to  the  love-feast,  was  received  into  the  church, 
and  became  a  worthy  Methodist." 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

TOWARDS  the  close  of  the  meetings  at  Bridgeport,  several 
Methodists  from  New  Haven  visited  the  services,  and  were 
desirous  that  Mr.  Rcdfield  should  come  to  their  place.  But 
little  did  they  know  of  the  conflict  which  preceded  the  victory 
they  had  witnessed.  Soon  an  invitation  came  for  him  to  spend 
a  season  there.  As  usual  with  Mr.  Redfield,  he  underwent 
a  season  of  great  spiritual  suffering  before  he  gave  his 
answer.  The  first  question  for  him  to  settle  was,  always: 
"Is  it  God's  will?"  Then  came  his  natural  shrinking  from 
the  conflict  that  awaited  him.  lie  had  heard  enough  of  the 
state  of  the  church  in  that  place  to  know  that  the  struggle 
would  be  a  hard  one.  Past  experience  had  taught  him  that 
his  spiritual  conflicts  would  be  great,  and  attended  with  great 
suffering.  lie  knew,  too,  if  the  opposition  prevailed,  the 
attempt  would  work  against  him  in  the  future.  The  tide  of 
worldliness  had  now  set  in  so  strongly,  and  had  become  so 
general,  that  wherever  he  went  the  battle  must  first  be  fought 
out  in  the  church.  And  it  was  no  light  matter  to  attempt  to 
bring  a  dead  church  into  that  spiritual  state  where  it  would 
be  a  successful  working  power  for  God  and  souls.  He  had 
learned  that  the  tendency  of  worldly  policy  in  the  church 
was  to  benumb  the  conscience  and  blind  the  perceptions  of 
the  membership  and  ministry  to  the  spiritual  truths  touching 
consecration  and  holy  living,  and  that  it  would  take  a 
greater  degree  of  divine  power  to  awaken  them  than  to 
awaken  the  ungodly.  He  had  also  learned  that  the  carnal 
reasonings  and  fears  of  a  worldly  church  and  ministry  were 
more  serious  obstacles  to  scriptural  awakening  than  the  com- 
bined opposition  of  all  forces  outside  the  church.  It  was 
because  of  this  that  he  suffered  so  in  spirit.  Yet  he  reasoned: 
"Somebody  must  do  the  work.  Whoever  enters  upon  it, 
must  lay  every  interest  upon  the  altar  of  God — reputation, 
the  goou  opinions  of  friends,  all  outlook  for  the  future;  and 

(212) 


DECIDING  TO  Go  TO  NEW  HAVEN.  213 

with  a  single  eye  to  the  truth  and  the  glory  of  God,  stand 
for  the  exact  right,  and  take  whatever  comes  as  best  he  can. 
It  may  as  well  be  me  as  any  one.  If  I  go  down  in  the  con- 
flict, my  calamity  may  draw  the  attention  of  some  honest  and 
daring  one  who,  following  God  fully,  may  finally  triumph." 

Reader,  would  you  call  this  cowardice?  True  bravery 
does  not  shut  its  eyes  to  the  dangers  that  surround  it,  and 
then  go  forward  blindly.  He  is  the  bravest  man  who  is 
most  conscious  of  the  danger  and  still  goes  forward.  Some 
natures  less  finely  strung  than  Mr.  Redfield's  would  have 
gone  forward  easily  and  readily,  but  their  work  would  have 
been  more  crudely  and  less  thoroughly  done. 

After  a  full  consideration  of  the  matter,  Mr.  Redfield 
consented  to  go,  and  informed  the  messenger  who  had  come 
for  his  final  answer,  that  he  would  be  in  New  Haven  the 
next  Thursday  night. 

New  Haven  was  the  seat  of  Yale  College.  The  influence 
of  this  institution  was  hostile  to  Methodism,  and  had  been 
from  the  beginning.  It  was  a  city  of  many  churches,  and 
these  likewise  all  hostile  to  Methodism.  At  this  particular 
time  there  was  no  manifestation  of  opposition,  for  Method- 
ism had  ceased  to  be  a  power  in  the  city.  The  membership 
had  cowered  before  the  lofty  claims  to  superiority  of  these 
churches,  and  had  contentedly  settled  down  in  a  subordinate 
position  and  almost  ceased  to  have  an  independent  life. 

The  time  came  for  Mr.  Redfield  to  take  the  cars,  but  it 
was  with  the  feeling  of  a  soldier  going  into  battle,  and  not 
that  of  one  who  has  gained  the  victory.  He  went  with  the 
determination  to  do  his  full  duty  if  he  was  not  allowed  to 
hold  more  than  one  service.  When  he  arrived  he  found  a 
number  of  brethren  waiting  at  the  depot  for  him  with  a  car- 
riage to  take  him  to  his  boarding  place.  He  felt  grateful  for 
this,  yet  he  saw  that  it  would  make  the  cross  heavier  to  do 
his  duty  to  them  when  the  time  came  for  it.  He  found  that 

a  great  effort  had  been  made  to  advertise  the  meetings,  and 
16 


214  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD*- 

by  the  manner  in  which  this  had  been  done,  much  curiosity 
had  been  excited  to  see  and  hear  him. 

When  he  entered  the  church  he  found  a  large  congrega- 
tion present.  At  the  proper  time  the  pastor  arose  and  said : 
"Brother  Redfield  has  finally  come,  and  will  preach  to-night, 
to-morrow  and  next-day  night,"  and  then  sat  down.  Mr. 
Redfield  arose,  and  addressed  them  somewhat  as  follows: 

"It  may  be  so,  and  it  may  not.  You  may  not  desire  me 
to  stay  after  to-night.  But,  by  the  help  of  God,  I  mean  so 
to  preach  that  if  I  am  called  to  the  judgment  within  five 
minutes  after  I  am  through,  I  shall  be  ready.  And  it  makes 
no  difference  to  me  whether  I  stay  one  day  or  six  weeks,  I 
shall  certainly  preach  the  straight  judgment  truth  of  God, — 
the  same  truth  we  must  die  by,  and  be  judged  by, — if  it  takes 
the  last  brick  from  the  foundations  of  this  church." 

With  his  usual  unction  and  power,  lie  endeavored  to  define 
the  type  of  religion  which  was  necessary  to  enable  a  soul  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  mass  of  the  membership  was  frightened,  and  with 
it  the  pastor.  But  one  good  old  man,  who  knew  what 
primitive  Methodism  was,  came  and  took  him  by  the  hand, 
and  bade  him  Godspeed. 

One  of  the  leaders  came  and  said:  "You  have  altogether 
mistaken  this  people.  That  kind  of  preaching  will  not  take 
in  this  place.  You  have  tacitly  reflected  upon  the  other  de- 
nominations in  this  city,  and  we  believe  they  are  pious  people." 

An  ex-mayor  of  the  city  somewhat  relieved  the  feelings 
of  the  pastor  by  saying  to  him:  "That  is  the  kind  of  preach- 
ing we  need  in  this  city.  We  have  not  a  minister  here  who 
dares  to  risk  his  reputation  to  preach  like  that.  That  is  the 
reason  why  the  churches  have  been  so  inefficient  for  the  last 
twenty-five  years.  Here,  give  him  that,  as  a  token  of  my 
approval/'  and  handed  him  a  twenty-dollar  gold  piece. 

Before  the  pastor  got  away  from  the  church  a  lawyer 
met  him,  and  said:  "That  is  the  kind  of  truth  we  want  here." 


A  FEARFUL  OFFICIAL  BOARD.  215 

Soon  after,  several  more  of  the  influential  men  gave  their 
sanction  to  the  truths  Mr.  Red  field  presented,  which  greatly 
allayed  the  minister's  fears. 

In  a  few  days  the  rabble  began  to  serenade  Mr.  Redfield 
with  doggeral  songs,  to  send  him  ball  tickets  through  the 
post-office,  to  hoot  and  shout  after  him  in  the  street,  to  hold 
mock  prayer-meetings  and  to  mimic  his  voice  and  manner. 
The  careful  were  greatly  distressed  at  this,  and  came  to  him 
with  the  matter,  but  he  rejoiced,  as  he  saw  in  it  the  evidence 
that  Satan  was  being  disturbed.  He  told  them,  "The  devil 
will  soon  exhaust  his  resources,  and  we'll  see  many  of  these 
made  happy  in  God." 

For  seven  or  eight  weeks  he  preached  wholly  to  the 
church.  At  last  he  was  waited  upon  by  several  members  of 
the  official  board,  who  told  him  that  his  course  would  ruin 
the  church,  if  not  soon  changed.  They  also  informed  him 
that  they  knew  of  more  than  fifty  persons  who  were  waiting 
for  an  opportunity  to  present  themselves  as  seekers,  and  they 
were  afraid  this  perpetual  labor  for  the  church  would  soon 
become  stale  and  offensive  to  them.  One  of  them  said, 
"There  are  many  of  us,  and  I  am  one  of  them,  who  will 
never  get  out  clear  until  we  get  to  laboring  for  sinners." 

Mr.  Redfield  replied:  "I  know  of  many  who  desire  tc 
become  Christians,  but  I  tell  them  we  are.  not  ready  for  them 
yet.  Now,  brother,  the  trouble  with  you  is,  you  desire  to  get 
on  the  wrong  side  of  the  altar.  You  can't  warm  up  by  the 
exercise  and  call  that  a  revival." 

"But  what  will  become  of  sinners  if  we  spend  all  our 
time  praying  for  ourselves?"  he  asked. 

Mr.  Redfield  replied  by  asking,  "What  will  your  prayers 
be  worth  for  them  if  they  do  yourself  no  good?  It  would 
be  better  to  ask  the  penitents  to  pray  for  the  church." 

He  saw,  however,  that  nothing  but  a  failure  would  con- 
vince them,  and  the  next  evening  he  gave  an  invitation  for 
penitents  to  come  to  the  altar.  Before  they  were  through 


216  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIHI.D. 

singing  the  first  verse  of  an  invitation  hymn,  the  altar  was 
filled.  lie  then  invited  the  brethren  forward  to  pray  for 
them.  A  large  number  of  them  came.  The  first  brother 
who  prayed  asked  for  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  missionary 
and  the  Bible  cause,  and  almost  everything  else  but  the  seek- 
ers at  the  altar.  Others  followed  in  like  manner. 

Mr.  Redfield  then  arose,  and  said:  "It  is  time  to  close, 
but  if  any  of  these  penitents  have  been  blessed,  let  them 
confess  it  to  the  people."  He  tried  to  encourage  them  to  do 
so,  but  it  was  in  vain.  He  then  said  to  the  congregation: 
"I  will  never  again  while  I  am  here  ask  penitents  to  come  to 
the  altar  for  the  benefit  of  such  dead,  meaningless  and  formal 
prayers.  We  will  keep  to  work  at  ourselves  until  we  get  so 
we  can  pray." 

The  next  night  the  very  ones  who  had  been  so  anxious  to 
warm  up  by  praying  for  others,  began  in  good  earnest  to 
pray  for  themselves.  One  or  two  received  such  a  view  of 
their  own  hearts  and  lives  that  they  appeared  to  be  in  de- 
spair. He  now  appointed  two  meetings  to  be  held  about  an 
hour  before  preaching,  in  two  of  the  class-rooms,  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  desired  to  seek  perfect  love. 

In  a  few  days  God  gave  a  few  witnesses  to  the  experi- 
ence. The  number  of  witnesses  then  began  to  increase  faster 
and  faster,  until  soon  their  aggregate  power  moved  the  en- 
tire city.  Frequently  there  were  more  than  one  hundred  at 
the  altar  at  one  time  seeking  for  pardon.  Other  churches 
now  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity,  and  reaped  great 
benefit  from  the  general  awakening.  In  one  of  these 
churches  it  was  reported  there  were  received  above  four 
hundred  persons.  The  revival  got  into  Yale  College,  and 
many  of  the  students  were  converted.  All  hostility  in  other 
denominations,  for  the  time  being  ceased,  except  the  prose- 
lyting to  gain  members. 

A  good  deacon  came  to  Mr.  -Redfield,  and  told  him  that 
one  minister  was  preaching  to  his  congregation  that  it  made 


HOLDING  TO  THE  TRUTH.  217 

no  difference  how  people  lived,  or  conformed  to  the  world  in 
dress  and  manners,  if  only  the  heart  was  kept  right.  Mr. 
Redfield  felt  it  his  duty  to  say  publicly  in  regard  to  this,  that 
God's  requirements  were  unbending;  that  his  word  com- 
manded them  to  "love  not  the  world,"  and  to  "be  not  con- 
formed to  the  world."  He  warned  the  congregation  against 
ministers  who  taught  the  contrary.  He  urged  that  all  men 
must  settle  these  questions  with  God  alone,  and  the  Bible  was 
to  be  their  guide.  As  a  result  of  his  faithful  dealing,  one 
womau  laid  aside  several  hundred  dollars  worth  of  jewelry, 
and  went  from  house  to  house  confessing  the  wrong  of  her 
fashionable  life.  She  then  tried  to  undo  the  bad  influence  of 
her  worldly  life  upon  her  own  family,  and  in  two  weeks  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  each  member  of  it  converted  to  God. 

Another  woman  saw  her  husband,  who  was  considered  a 
model  Christian,  in  such  agony  over  his  own  state,  that  his 
cries  aroused  the  whole  block  in  which  he  lived.  She  then 
cried  out,  "If  my  husband  sees  himself  in  such  a  light,  O 
Lord,  where  am  I  ?"  She  sought  the  Lord  now  in  the  most 
earnest  manner,  and  when  she  found  him,  so  great  was  the 
blessing  of  God  that  she  could  not  rise  from  her  bed,  and  re- 
mained thus  for  more  than  one  week.  When  Christian  peo- 
ple came  to  see  her,  with  her  face  all  radiant  with  the  glory 
of  God,  and  with  great  power  she  declared,  that  she  saw  the 
church  did  not  believe  the  Bible. 

Such  experiences  had  a  powerful  influence  in  the  commun- 
ity, and  in  a  few  weeks  from  the  time  that  the  work  broke 
out  more  than  fifteen  hundred  had  been  gathered  into  the 
kingdom  of  God.  The  Methodist  church  in  which  this 
meeting  was  held,  was  so  filled  with  members  that  more 
than  thirty  families  were  unable  to  find  seats,  and  another 
church  had  to  be  built  in  another  part  of  the  city.  Yet 
strange  to  say,  the  pastor  afterward  became  an  opposer  of 
Mr.  Redfield  and  spoke  disparagingly  of  this  revival. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

WHILE  the  work  was  moving  in  great  power  in  New 
Haven,  a  deputation  from  Stamford  waited  upon  Mr.  Red- 
field  and  invited  him  to  that  city.  He  accepted  the  invitation, 
and,  immediately  after  closing  his  work  at  New  Haven,  re- 
paired to  that  place.  On  being  introduced  to  the  pastor,  the 
following  conversation  took  place: 

"How  many  inhabitants  have  you  here?" 

"About  eighteen  thousand." 

"How  many  churches?" 

"Eight  or  ten.  Our  own  people  have  three,  but  one  is 
closed." 

"What  is  the  prevailing  tone  of  religion?" 

"Unitarianism." 

"How  long  since  the  Methodists  had  anything  like  a  re- 
vival?" 

"About  thirty  years.  But  we  have  become  quite  respect- 
able. The  time  was  when  we  could  not  get  a  spot  in  the 
place  on  which  to  build  a  church,  and  we  had  to  build  some 
miles  outside  the  town.  A  great  change  has  come  over 

Doctor  O ,  who  so  bitterly  opposed  us  then,  and  now 

he  says  we  ought  to  have  the  same  privileges  the  other 
churches  have.  Now  we  have  this  fine  edifice  in  an  eligible 
part  of  the  city."  / 

Mr.  Rcdfield  said  nothing,  but  he  feared  that  this  respect- 
ability had  been  gained  by  abandoning  real  Methodism. 

In  due  time  he  proceeded  to  the  church  for  the  first  serv- 
ice. The  message  was  to  the  church;  the  theme — the  New 
Testament  standard  of  religion,  and  the  unlawfulness  of  all 
others.  The  meeting  closed,  and  he  returned  with  the  pastor 
to  the  parsonage.  As  soon  as  they  were  seated,  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  asked: 

"Is  that  the  course  you  design  to  pursue?" 

(218) 


A  PASTOR'S  CRITICISM.  219 

"Yes,  sir." 

"I  do  not  think  it  will  do  here.  I  think  I  can  give  you 
some  valuable  advice  if  you  are  willing  to  receive  it." 

"Very  good;  good  advice  is  always  acceptable.  Tell  me 
just  what  you  think." 

"Well,  I  think  our  conference  preachers  have  done  admir- 

rably  here  for  many  years.  Brother ,  who  was  here 

years  ago  was  a  perfect  gentleman,  and  the  people  all  loved 

him.  Brother — ,  who  followed  him,  took  the  same 

course;  and  so  all  of  them  down  to  the  present  time.  These 
men  won  their  way  into  the  affections  of  the  people,  and  have 
gained  for  us  the  position  we  occupy  now." 

"Then  you  think  that  is  the  course  for  me  to  pursue?" 

"I  do." 

"Will  you  tell  me  what  time  the  next  train  leaves?" 

"You  do  not  think  of  leaving,  do  you?  We  have  sent 
for  you  to  hold  these  meetings,  and  we  want  a  revival." 

"Brother,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "God  has  made  me  a  rough 
man,  and  given  me  a  rough  gospel  for  rough  hearts.  I 
shall  leave;  for  if  you  think  a  little  more  of  the  same  stuff 
which  you  have  had  is  necessary,  and  which  you  acknowledge 
has  been  a  failure  for  thirty  years,  you  have  all  the  tools 
necessary,  and  have,  no  need  of  me.  I  will  go  where  the 
people  will  allow  me  to  use  God's  only  tools  for  saving  men." 

After  some  moments  of  silence,  he  replied:  "Well,  my 
time  is  nearly  out,  as  this  is  near  the  close  of  my  last  year; 
and  I  will  allow  you  to  go  on." 

Two  days  after,  in  an  afternoon  meeting,  an  old  man,  a 
member  of  the  church,  arose  and  said:  "I  went  home  from 
meeting  last  night,  and  went  to  bed,  but  I  could  not  sleep. 
I  thought  I  was  sick,  and  would  die  before  morning,  and  I 
dared  not  sleep.  I  arose  and  knelt  down  and  tried  to  pray. 
I  struggled  the  remainder  of  the  night,  but  about  the  break 
of  day  God  spoke  peace  to  my  soul."  And  then  raising  his 
voice  very  loud  he  cried:  "My  brethren,  this  is  the  same  kind 


220  LIFE  OF  JOHX  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

we  used  to  have  thirty  years  ago."  Then  arose  a  sister,  who 
said:  "Brethren,  when  I  heard  what  a  great  revival  was  in 
progress  in  New  Haven,  where  Brother  Redfield  was  labor- 
ing, I  thought,  'If  he  will  only  conae  here,  what  a  good 
time  we  would  have.'  But  when  he  came,  and  began  to 
preach,  I  said:  <O  Lord,  I  can't  have  it  come  this  way.'  I 
thought  he  would  put  it  on  to  the  sinners,  but  when  he 
preached  so  sharp  to  us,  I  thought  'I  never  can  endure  it.' 
But  last  night,  when  I  went  home  I  could  not  go  to  bed,  so 
I  sat  up  all  night  and  prayed  God  to  have  mercy  on  my  soul. 
And  early  this  morning  he  came  in  power  to  me.  Oh,  this 
is  the  same  kind  we  used  to  have  years  ago!"  and  she  fell,  as 
though  dead,  to  the  floor. 

Another  and  another  arose,  and  gave  in  substantially  the 
same  testimony.  Dr.  O— — ,  who  had  come  to  the  meeting, 
evidently  out  of  curiosity,  by  this  time  had  become  quite 
angry,  and  now  arose  and  left  the  house.  As  he  passed  out 
he  said  to  one:  "Such  things  ought  not  to  be  tolerated;  and 
Mr.  Redfield  ought  to  be  shut  up  at  once." 

The  meetings  went  on  in  great  power  for  several  weeks, 
and  many  were  saved. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

AFTER  his  labors  in  Stamford,  Mr.  Redfield  visited  the 

camp  meeting  at ,  and  there  saw  such  an  illustration  of 

the  power  of  divine  grace  to  save  as  he  had  never  witnessed 
before.  It  was  the  case  of  a  man  who  had  become  so  abandoned 
that  several  times  he  had  been  a  candidate  for  the  peniten- 
tiary. To  all  appearance,  his  mind  was  but  a  wreck.  He 
was  a  fish  peddler,  but  when  he  could  find  any  one  who  would 
gamble  with  him,  he  would  leave  his  fish  to  decay  in  his  cart. 
So  wretched  and  vile  had  he  become  that  some  thought  it 
was  useless  to  pray  for  him.  Some  months  after  this,  Mr. 
Redfield  saw  him  again,  and  the  change  in  him  seemed  like 
that  in  the  demoniac  of  Gadara,  when  Jesus  had  cast  out  the 
evil  spirit.  His  body  was  still  a  ruin ;  his  mind,  stupid ;  his  per- 
son, filthy;  and  his  whole  external  appearance,  very  repulsive; 
yet  when  he  spoke  of  his  experience  there  was  such  a  charm 
in  his  artless  testimony  as  gave  a  most  vivid  illustration  of 
the  power  of  grace  to  overcome  the  devil. 

At  this  same  camp  meeting  he  met  with  an  Indian  preacher 
whose  religious  experience  was  very  marked.  In  relating  it 
he  said: 

"I  was  powerfully  awakened.  I  sought  to  get  help  from 
the  white  man.  I  heard  of  a  camp  meeting  and  thought,  'I'll 
get  help  there;'  I  went  to  the  place,  but  seemed  to  get  no 
help.  I  was  uneasy  and  wandered  from  place  to  place  about 
the  grounds.  I  went  from  tent  to  tent,  looked  into  them, 
and  seeing  nothing  to  help  me,  turned  away.  I  was  most 
wretched.  Finally  the  meeting  closed;  the  last  tent  was 
struck;  the  last  wagon  driven  from  the  ground,  and  I  was 
yet  unsaved.  Night  came  on.  I  walked  into  a  little  ravine, 
the  bed  of  which  was  dry,  and  laid  down  on  the  grass,  deter- 
mined never  to  rise  until  I  found  peace.  During  the  night  it 
began  to  rain,  and  after  awhile  the  water  began  to  run  down 
the  ravine.  It  came  up  around  my  sides,  and  then  ran  '•over 

(221) 


222  LIFE  OF  JOHN  VV.  RBDFIHLD. 

me.  I  raised  my  head  so  I  would  not  drown.  At  last,  when 
it  seemed  as  though  I  would  drown  if  I  staid  there  longer, 
God  blessed  me,  and  I  crawled  out  of  the  water  and  went  on 
my  way." 

While  at  this  meeting  he  also  became  acquainted  with 
another  Indian,  the  son  of  a  chief,  who  told  of  the  great  con- 
cern he  felt  for  his  people,  and  how  God  had  used  him  in 
bringing  his  relatives  to  God.  lie  related  the  following 
story : 

"  I  procured  a  Testament  printed  in  the  Chippewa 
language.  Having  found  Jesus  myself,  I  wanted  to  see  my 
red  brother  enjoying  the  same.  I  asked  him  to  go  out  into 
the  woods  with  me.  We  took  our  seats  on  a  log.  I  then 
read  to  him  about  the  death  of  Jesus.  I  read  on  and  on, 
when  at  last  he  laid  his  hand  on  me  and  said,  'Just  stop 
there.'  I  stopped,  and  he  started  to  leave  me.  I  knew  from 
his  looks  what  he  meant,  and  neither  spoke  nor  followed 
him,  but  remained  sitting  on  the  log.  He  went  over  a  little 
knoll  and  began  to  pray  in  good  earnest.  He  continued  to 
cry  for  mercy  until  the  sun  was  going  down,  when  suddenly 
he  bounded  to  his  feet  like  a  deer.  God  had  saved  him. 
He  now  started  for  his  father's  wigwam,  and  going  in,  knelt 
down  and  began  to  pray.  Soon  his  mother  came  and  knelt 
by  his  side,  and  then  a  sister,  and  then  another;  and  finally 
his  father  came  and  knelt  down.  By  the  morning  all  were 
converted.  His  father  was  so  happy  over  his  new  religion, 
and  so  anxious  to  spread  it,  that  he  started  for  the  store  of 
the  white  man  who  sold  fire-water  (whisky)  to  the  tribe. 
When  he  got  there,  he  said  to  the  white  man: 

" '  We  have  lived   together  here  for  a  Ions:  time.     We 

o  o 

have  been  good  friends,  and  never  had  a  quarrel.' 

"•'  That  is  true,'  said  the  white  man. 

"'  Now,  I  want  you  to  do  me  one  good  thing  as  a  friend. 
You  know  I  never  asked  you  for  anything  before.' 


AN  INDIAN'S  STORY.  223 

"'Well,  I'll  grant  you  the  favor  if  I  can;  what  is  it?' 
asked  the  white  man. 

"  Then  said  the  Indian,  '  Don't  sell  any  more  fire-water 
to  the  Indians.  You  know  many  of  them  have  come  here 
and  bought  the  fire-water,  and  some  of  them  when  drunk 
have  tried  to  cross  the  river  and  have  been  drowned ;  and 
some  of  them  have  fallen  in  the  snow  and  have  frozen  to 
death.  And  our  people  have  been  made  wretched  by  drink- 
ing the  fire-water.' 

"The  white  man  made  the  promise,  and  the  old  Indian 
returned  home  to  pray  for  him.  The  next' morning  he  went 
near  enough  to  see  that  the  store  was  closed,  and  then  went 
back  to  pray  for  the  white  man  more;  and  to  let  him  have 
time  to  think  it  over.  The  next  morning  he  went  again  to 
see,  and  found  the  store  still  closed.  The  third  morning  he 
found  the  store  was  still  closed ;  but  he  went  now  to  see  how 
the  white  man  got  along.  He  found  him  in  despair.  He 
tried  to  comfort  him,  but  he  said:  'No!  no!  it  is  true;  I've 
been  the  means  of  the  deaths  of  those  who  were  drowned, 
and  of  those  who  were  frozen,  and  there  can  be  no  mercy 
for  me.' 

"The  old  Indian  tried  to  think  of  something  that  would 
give  the  poor  man  hope,  and  finally  said:  'There  must  be 
hope  for  you,  for  the  Lord  had  mercy  on  me.  If  he  can 
save  an  Indian,  he  can  save  a  white  man.' 

"The  poor  man  laid  hold  on  this,  and  was  saved.  He 
then  went  among  the  Indians  and  became  a  successful  mis- 
sionary among  them." 

At  another  camp  meeting  during  this  season,  Mr.  Redfield 
met  a  converted  Jew  in  whom  he  became  greatly  interested. 
He  was  a  son  of  a  rabbi.  He  told  Mr.  Redfield  the  follow- 
ing story  of  his  father's  death,  as  an  illustration  of  how 
Christ  comes  to  some  of  his  people  in  the  dying  hour.  V/hen 
his  father  was  drawing  near  to  death,  and  while  uttering  the 
usual  cry  of  his  people  at  such  times,  "he  called  for  me," 


224  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

said  the  son,  "and  said  to  me,  *O  my  son,  I  have  tried  to 
live  in  good  conscience  all  my  life.  I  have  tried  honestly  to 
serve  the  God  of  my  fathers;  but  now  in  my  great  extremity 
I  do  not  feel  prepared  to  die.  I  have  done  everything  I  can 
think  of  to  prepare  me  to  meet  God,  except  to  have  a  sacri- 
fice offered  for  me.  But  that  is  impossible;  we  have  no 
temple  and  no  high  priest.'  Some  of  our  Jewish  friends 
came  as  usual  at  such  times,  and  exhorted  him,  as  a  last  act 
of  fidelity  to  God,  to  curse  Christ,  and  thus  deny  all  fellow- 
ship with  idolatry.  But  he  broke  out  saying:  'God  forbid 
that  I  should  deny  my  only  hope  of  salvation.' 

"This,"  said  the  young  man,  "is  of  frequent  occurrence 
among  the  more  devoted  Jews." 

This  incident  afforded  Mr.  Redfield  much  comfort,  for 
the  thought  of  missionary  work  among  the  Jews,  and  how 
to  do  it,  had  been  much  upon  his  mind. 

During  the  summer,  while  visiting  in  Stamford,  as  he 
passed  a  house  one  day  a  lady  called  him  in  to  see  her  hus- 
band who  was  in  despair  over  the  doctrine  of  election.  He 
had,  in  childhood,  been  taught  the  Calvanistic  faith,  and  al- 
though he  had  been  a  Methodist  for  years,  he  could  not  shake 
off  entirely  that  teaching. 

Mr.  Redfield  asked  him,  "How  long  have  you  been  in 
this  state  of  mind?" 

"For  twenty  years,"  he  replied.  His  wife  said  he  would 
sometimes  shut  himself  up  in  a  room  and  pray  and  groan  for 
hours  together  without  any  relief. 

Mr.  Redfield  said  to  him,  "Tell  me  as  near  as  you  can  all 
about  it." 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "I  am  afraid  that  I  am  a  reprobate;  that 
Christ  never  died  for  me.  Sometimes  I  feel  my  heart  a  little 
softened,  so  I  can  weep  a  little;  and  then  I  take  comfort  and 
hope  that  I  am  not  lost.  But  the  hardness  returns,  and  then 
I  am  in  distress  again." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  am  not  going  to  use  any 


A  MAN  FORSAKEN  OF  GOD.  225 

arguments  against  that  false  doctrine;  but  I  want  you  in  your 
heart  to  say,  /  believe  Jesus  died  Jor  me" 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "I  would  not  dare  to  do  so  wicked  a  thing, 
for  if  he  did  not  die  for  me,  I  should  then  be  believing  a  lie." 

"Never  mind  that,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "for  if  Christ  did 
not  die  for  you,  according  to  this  miserable  doctrine,  you  are 
lost  any  way,  and  to  believe  one  more  lie  cannot  make  your 
case  a  great  deal  worse ;  you  had  better  risk  it." 

The  old  man  repeated  aloud,  in  measured  tones,  "I  be- 
lieve— that  Jesus — died  for  ME.  Oh,  glory  to  God !  I've  got 
it!  I've  got  it!  I've  got  it." 

Here  Mr.  Redfield  saw  demonstrated  that  one  act  of  faith 
would  do  what  twenty  years  of  praying  had  failed  to  do. 

In  another  place,  that  season,  he  attended  a  holiness  meet- 
ing held  in  a  private  house,  where  a  room  overhead  was  occu- 
pied by  a  gentleman  boarder,  whose  strange  conduct  is  re- 
corded below.  God  graciously  manifested  himself  in  the 
meeting  and  several  were  sanctified,  and  a  number  more  con- 
verted. In  the  midst  of  it,  the  man  overhead  began  to  rave 
like  a  madman.  He  came  down  into  the  hall,  and  began  to 
howl  and  bark  and  growl  like  a  dog,  and  that  so  rapidly  and 
violently  that  it  sounded  as  though  a  number  of  dogs  were 
fighting  there.  He  then  burst  in  the  door,  and  when  he  saw 
Mr.  Redfield,  his  eyes  flashed,  and  he  moved  towards  him  as 
if  to  do  him  harm,  and  yet  harmed  him  not.  At  last  he  left 
the  room.  The  next  day  the  man  of  the  house  asked  him 
why  he  could  disturb  a  religious  meeting  like  that. 

"Sir,"  said  he,  "I  do  not  with  to  do  such  things,  but  I 
cannot  help  it.  I  know  that  I  am  forever  lost;  I  have  known 
this  for  years.  Ever  since  the  time  when  I  was  forsaken  of 
God,  I  cannot  endure  the  sound  of  prayer  or  of  religious 
song.  It  completely  unmans  me." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

As  WINTER  approached  Mr.  Redfield  was  invited  to 
return  to  Stamford  to  one  of  the  forsaken  churches  in  that 
place.  The  condition  of  Methodism  in  the  vicinity  may  be 
seen  from  the  following  facts.  Three  miles  away  was 
a  church  which  had  not  been  occupied  for  three  years;  one 
and  a-half  miles  away  was  one  to  be  closed  the  following 
spring;  two  miles  in  another  direction  was  one  that  had  been 
unoccupied  for  many  years. 

The  pastor  who  had  invited  Mr.  Redfield  was  a  devoted 
man,  but  poorly  adapted  to  resurrect  a  dead  church.  Under 
the  strong  truths  preached  by  Mr.  Redfield  a  general  awaken- 
ing was  coming  on,  when  other  Methodist  societies  in  the 
vicinity  opposed  to  the  resuscitatio'n  of  this  one,  forced  the 
meetings  to  close.  The  African  Methodists  then  opened 
their  doors,  and  the  revival  went  to  them.  Here  God  wrought 
mightily,  and  some  of  the  most  wealthy  and  influential  people 
of  the  city  came  to  the  altar  and  were  saved  ;  some  of  them 
that  the  dcadness  which  had  reigned  in  the  churches  had  well 
nigh  made  infidels.  Among  themselves  they  started  a  sub- 
scription to  build  a  new  church,  and  desired  Mr.  Redfield  to 
become  their  pastor.  He  consulted  his  presiding  elder,  who 
advised  against  it,  and  the  matter  was  dropped. 

He  was  now  having  all  the  calls  he  could  fill;  and  to  have 
accepted  that  proposition  would  have  turned  him  aside  from 
his  peculiar  mission.  He  had  many  friends  among  the  more 
spiritual  of  the  ministry,  who  would  have  called  in  question 
the  propriety  of  such  a  step;  and  the  step  once  taken,  might 
have  involved  him  in  circumstances  such  as  would  have  ren- 
dered it  impossible  to  retrace  it. 

Before  leaving  Stamford,  he  went  with  the  pastor  to 
hold  one  more  service  in  the  old  church  that  had  been  closed 
so  long.  During  the  service  he  observed  a  young  man  in 

(226) 


A  YOUNG  PASTOR  SEEKS  HOLINESS.  227 

the  congregation  who  seemed  deeply  interested  and  who 
closely  watched  everything  that  was  said  and  done.  When 
the  invitation  was  given  for  seekers  of  sanctification,  he  came 
forward  boldly.  He  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  after 
the  service  closed  he  invited  Mr.  Redfield  to  go  to  his  charge 
five  miles  away  to  labor  with  him  for  a  season.  He  said  the 
church  was  not  inclined  to  receive  him  when  he  was  appointed 
the  spring  previous;  but  after  pleading  with  them  for  some 
time,  they  yielded,  and  let  him  stay.  He  now  desired  Mr. 
Redfield  to  go  with  him  to  assist  in  a  revival  meeting. 

The  following  conversation  then  passed  between  them: 

"  Now  will  you  go?"  said  the  young  preacher. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  sanctification  as  held 
by  the  Methodists?"  inquired  Mr.  Redfield. 

"  I  do,"  was  the  ready  answer. 

"  Do  you  enjoy  it  ?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"  I  do  not, '  the  preacher  answei'ed. 

"  Will  you  seek  it  with  all  your  heart  until  you  find  it?" 
further  inquired  Mr.  Redfield. 

"  I  will,"  was  the  immediate  reply. 

"  But  let  me  tell  you  what  may  be  the  consequences  of  your 
taking  this  stand,"  said  Mr.  Redfield.  "  If  you  obtain  this 
experience  and  preach  it,  you  will  have  a  living,  active 
church,  and  sinners  will  be  converted  in  great  numbers. 
They  will  be  converted  so  they  will  know  it  in  power.  Then 
perhaps  when  conference  comes,  some  one  else  will  be  appoin- 
ted to  the  charge.  And  the  membership  and  converts  may 
injudiciously  speak  in  great  love  of  yourself  as  their  former 
pastor;  and  if  the  new  preacher  has  not  the  grace  to  endure 
it,  he  may  become  jealous,  and  will  speak  lightly  of  you  to 
the  other  preachers ;  and  by  impressing  the  conference  that 
you  are  an  unsafe  man,  and  poorly  calculated  to  keep  up  the 
dignity  of  Methodism,  as  a  result  you  may  find  yourself 
crowded  out  of  the  best  paying  appointments,  and  on  to 
frontier  work.  Now,  if  you  thus  lose  caste  and  standing 


2^8  LIKE  OF  JOHN   \V.   KIMM.LD. 

among  the  preachers,  and  have  to  go  on  alone,  unappreciated, 
will  you  seek  for  this  experience,  and  preach  it  to  your 
people?  Can  you  afford  to  wait  for  the  great  day  of  judg- 
ment to  adjust  all  these  matters?*' 

With  great  emphasis,  the  young  preacher  replied,  "I 
will  accept  the  conditions." 

"  Very  good,"  said  Mr.  Red  field,  "  I  will  go  to  your 
place:  and  further,  if  ever  you  get  into  a  hard  spot,  because 
you  take  the  honorable  course  for  God,  just  let  me  know, 
and  I  will  come  to  your  help." 

Mr.  Red  field  went  to  the  aid  of  this  young  preacher,  and 
found  the  utmost  freedom  "  to  go  the  straight  way  for  God 
and  the  exact  right."  At  the  close  of  the  first  sermon,  the 
young  minister  took  his  stand  as  he  had  promised.  He  said: 

"It  may  seem  strange  to  my  congregation  that  I  have 
never  preached  this  doctrine  to  you.  But  as  an  honest  man 
I  could  not  preach  to  you  what  I  did  not  enjoy  as  an  experi- 
ence. When  I  joined  the  conference,  I  told  the  bishop  and 
the  preachers  that  I  believed  in  this  doctrine,  and  would  seek 
it.  And  now  I  ask  you  to  forgive  me  for  not  having  done  it 
before;  and  I  also  ask  you  to  come  forward  and  pray  for 
me." 

He  then  knelt  at  the  altar,  and  the  members  of  his  church 
around  him.  The  power  of  God  fell  upon  them  in  a  won-, 
derful  manner.  The  work  of  God  began  with  unusual 
power,  and  soon  the  entire  community  was  deeply  moved. 
Skeptics,  who  had  not  entered  a  church  for  twenty  ye;irs, 
were  convicted,  until  unable  to  leave  their  homes. 

The  place  of  worship  stood  on  a  corner  where  five  streets 
came  together,  and  was  the  scene  of  glorious  things.  Some- 
times the  saved,  as  they  returned  to  their  homes,  made^the 
night  air  ring  with  their  shouts. 

This  young  minister,  soon  after,  thought  it  best  to  take  a 
transfer  to  a  Western  conference.  We  will  not  consider  his 
case  further  at  present,  but  shall  hear  from  him  again. 


LEADERS  OPPOSE  THE  DOCTRINE.  229 

Mr.  Redfield  was  now  called  to  go  to  the  aid  of  a  con- 
ference preacher  who  had  made  himself  offensive  by  his 
plainness.  He  had  been  appointed  to  a  village  that  could 
boast  of  a  tavern,  two  churches,  one  blacksmith  shop,  and 
four  or  five  painted  houses.  But  the  people  rebelled  at  the 
"imposition,"  as  they  called  it,  of  having  a  preacher  appointed 
to  them,  who  was  so  far  behind  the  times  as  to  be  opposed 
to  worldly  amusements.  Mr.  Redfield  staid  but  a  few  days, 
as  he  could  not  discern  that  he  would  have  any  especial  help 
from  God  in  the  work. 

A  short  time  after  he  went  to  a  camp  meeting  in  Central 
New  York.  There  he  found  strong  opposition  to  the  doc- 
trine of  holiness  among  the  preachers.  This  was  very  pain- 
ful to  him,  and  aroused  his  fears  for  the  future  of  the  doctrine 
and  the  church.  One  preacher,  in  a  sermon,  opposed  the 
doctrine  as  taught  by  the  early  Methodists.  In  the  midst  of 
his  argument  against  it,  one  of  the  preachers  in  the  stand 
quoted  two  or  three  passages  from  the  Bible  that  upheld  the 
doctrine,  but  was  told  by  the  presiding  elder  to  "stop";  yet, 
this  elder  had  no  rebuke  for  the  man  who  was  antagonizing 
Wesley,  Clarke,  Watson,  and  other  standard  authors  in  the 
church.  This  sermon  threw  the  people  into  great  confusion, 
.and  many  of  them  left  the  congregation,  thinking  to  strike 
their  tents  and  go  home.  Mr.  Redfield  and  others  went  to 
them  and  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from  this,  while  the 
elder,  seeins:  the  disaster  the  sermon  was  bringing  upon  the 
meeting,  required  the  minister  to  stop.  Rev.  Hiram  Mattison, 
who  at  this  time  was  the  leader  of  this  opposition  to  the  doc- 
trine of  holiness,  was  present,  and  attempted  to  allay  the 
excitement  by  speaking  somewhat  as  follows: 

"The  doctrine  of  sanctification  is  true  and  good.  There 
are  various  opinions  in  regard  to  some  of  the  details  of  it.  I 
can  best  express  mine  by  using  an  illustration:  On  an  orange 
tree  you  will  find  blossoms  and  green  fruit  and  ripe  fruit.  My 
experience  is  similar  to  that.  When  I  was  converted  I  was 


230  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDKIELD. 

partially  sanctified.  When  I  joined  the  church  I  was  a 
little  more  sanctified.  When  I  took  a  license  to  preach  I  was 
still  a  little  more  sanctified.  And  soyousee  we  are  more  and 
more  sanctified  as  we  pass  along ;  and  the  way  to  become  sanc- 
tified is  to  progress  in  the  divine  life." 

He  said  much  more,  but  this  was  the  substance  of  it  all. 
This  made  the  matter  no  better  with  the  dissatisfied  breth- 
ren. Brother  Purdy  was  present,  and  in  his  inimitable 
manner  tried  his  hand  upon  the  storm.  He  prepared  a 
place  for  a  prayer  meeting  in  an  unoccupied  part  of  the 
ground  and  called  the  people  together.  He  then  said:  "I 
think  it  will  be  well  to  take  the  testimony  of  the  people 
upon  this  question.  Now,  how  many  of  this  company  know, 
by  a  heart-felt  experience,  that  entire  sanctification  is  distinct 
from  justification  and  regeneration,  and  that  it  is  received 
instantaneously  by  faith?  Arise  and  stand  upon  your 
feet."  About  three  hundred  arose.  "Now,"  said  he,  "let 
all  those  who  know  they  have  experienced  it,  but  received 
it  gradually,  and  not  instantaneously,  arise."  Not  one  arose. 

This  was  thought  by  the  opposition  to  be  a  very  unfair 
proceeding;  and  yet  they  saw  nothing  wrong  in  staying 
in  the  church  and  openly  opposing  one  of  its  fundamental 
doctrines.  , 

The  following  are  some  of  Mr.  Redfield's  reflections  in 
regard  to  the  matter: 

"  I  could  but  think,  when  a  preacher,  in  a  place  like  this, 
will  be  allowed  to  attack  one  of  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  church,  and  receive  encouragement  from  the  presiding 
elder,  we  are  in  a  very  bad  state.  Methodism  must  come  to 
an  end,  or  another  people  be  raised  up  to  carry  on  the  work. 
But  I  shall  probably  be  numbered  with  the  dead  when  that 
day  arrives.  God  helping,  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  save  what 
spirituality  rcmains,to  check  the  waning  of  its  power,  and  to 
keep  it  as  efficient  as  possible  while  I  live." 

These  circumstances  led  him  to  see  the  necessity  of  a 
greater  degree  of  spiritual  power  than  he  had  ever  known, 
that  he  might  be  more  efficient  in  the  Master's  service. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

At  the  close  of  the  camp  meeting  mentioned  in  the  last 
chapter,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  company 
with  a  Brother  Hicks  and  wife.  While  tarrying  there  for  a 
few  days,  he  attended  a  prayer  meeting  with  them  at  the 
church  where  they  belonged.  On  leaving  the  church  there 
came  to  him  his  old  sign  which  had  always  tokened  to  him 
a  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit.  He  said  to  Brother  Hicks, 
"  I  tell  you  God  is  going  to  visit  this  city  in  awful  and 
glorious  power." 

"  Yes,"  said  Brother  Hicks,  "  I  believe  it.  A  goodly 
number*  of  us  have  been  praying  for  it,  and  we  feel  that  he 
has  answered  our  prayers;  and  now  we  are  looking  for  it." 

These  friends  were  desirous  that  Mr.  Redfield  should  come 
and  lead  a  revival  meeting,  but  were  fearful  that  their  pastor 
would  be  unwilling,  as  he  had  not  manifested  any  sympathy 
with  the  doctrine  of  holiness.  Mr.  Redfield  had  never 
before  received  this  peculiar  token  of  a  revival  except  when 
he  was  to  be  an  active  laborer  in  it;  and  as  yet  there  was 
no  indication  that  he  would  be  connected  with  this.  So  with- 
out waiting  further  he  started  for  his  home  in  New  York  city. 
But  before  a  great  while  he  received  a  letter  from  a  preacher 
stationed  at  Salina,  now  a  suburb  of  Syracuse,  requesting 
his  services.  He  accepted  the  call  as  a  possible  step  towards 
Syracuse. 

On  his  way  while  traveling  up  the  Hudson  river  on  a 
night  boat,  he  began  to  have  a  wonderful  manifestation. 
The  especial  impression  was  of  the  presence  of  the  heavenly 
host;  and  its  effect  was  to  comfort,  cheer  and  strengthen 
him.  This  lasted  all  through  the  journey.  He  seemed  rapt 
in  a  contemplation  of  God,  and  the  work  of  God,  such  as  no 
words  could  express*. 

As  he  approached  Syracuse,  there  came  to  him  again  the 

(231) 


232  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIHLD. 

same  token  of  the  coining  revival.  He  reached  the  city,  and 
went  to  the  house  of  Brother  Hicks.  Here  he  took  courage 
again,  for  this  man  could  appreciate  the  strongest  type  of  sal- 
vation. His  house  was  like  the  temple  of  God,  where  the 
altar  fires  were  constantly  burning.  It  was  a  sanctuary  for 
the  oppressed  and  the  persecuted.  For  years  one  could  not 
enter  it  often  without  finding  there  some  one  who  had  made 
it  a  refuge.  Seasons  of  prayer  there  often  lasted  all  night, 
and  sometimes  complaints  of  this  were  made  to  the  magis- 
trates. 

Brother  Hicks  took  Mr.  Redfield  to  the  home  of  the  min- 
ister he  was  to  assist;  and  on  crossing  the  bridge  that  lies  be- 
tween the  two  towns,  the  old  token  appeared  again,  but  this 
time,  it  stood  over  the  place  to  which  he  was  going.  When 
he  reached  the  minister's  house,  he  found  him  in  very  poor 
health.  The  state  of  religion  was  such,  that  because  of  a 
small  amount  of  indebtedness  on  the  church  property  it  was 
about  to  be  sold.  The  society  had  about  concluded  to  dis- 
miss their  preacher,  because  of  the  lack  of  funds  to  pay  him. 
There  could  be  no  possible  objections  to  Mr.  Redfield's 
labors  in  such  a  place.  For  some  time  he  had  found  that 
ministers  were  perfectly  willing  that  he  should  work  in  such 
places,  and  that  with  the  greatest  freedom,  for  he  could  not 
possibly  make  things  any  worse. 

He  also  found  that  this  place  had  been  overrun  with  mes- 
merism, spiritism,  and  finally  unionism;  that  is,  the  discard- 
ing of  all  denominational  distinctions.  The  next  step  was  to 
Unitarianism. 

%  There  was  a  fear  upon  the  part  of  good  people  that  if  a 
revival  should  take  on  the  old-fashioned  type  that  character- 
ized early  Methodism,  it  would  be  called  spiritism,  or  mes- 
merism, or  something  else  besides  real  religion.  His  reply 
to  them  was,  "I  believe  that  the  old  gospel  has  as  much 
power  to-day  as  it  ever  had,  and  that  God  will  come  to  our 
rescue ;  and  if  men  try  to  Imitate  the  work,  as  in  the  days  of 


A  STRANGE  PHENOMENON.  233 

Moses,  the  rod  of  Jehovah  will  swallow   up  their  rods,  and 
they  will  be  obliged  to  confess  the  true  God." 

The  revival  had  not  been  in  progress  long  before  a  good 
woman  from  another  town  felt  constrained  to  come  to  see 
Mr.  Redfield.  She  came  to  the  house  where  he  was  stop- 
ping, was  introduced,  and  when  about  to  shake  hands,  she 
gave  two  piercing  screams,  so  sudden  as  to  startle  him.  He 
had  never  heard  anything  like  them  before,  and  knew  not 
what  to  make  of  them.  He  thought  it  best  to  wait  until  he 
had  an  opportunity  to  investigate  them  before  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  disturbed  with  them.  When  meeting  time 
came  he  started  for  the  church,  and  this  woman  with  some 
friends  followed.  Occasionally  he  would  hear  her  give  the 
same  two  peculiar  screams  as  they  came  along  the  walk. 
When  he  had  reached  the  pulpit  and  turned  about,  he  saw 
her  coming  in  at  the  door,  holding  her  hands  over  her  mouth. 
She  came  up  near  the  pulpit,  and  as  she  turned  to  enter  a 
pew  she  gave  the  same  two  screams  again,  so  loud  as  to 
shock  all  in  the  house,  and  then  clapped  her  hands  over 
her  face  and  appeared  gi'eatly  mortified;  but,  evidently, 
could  not  control  her  voice. 

In  a  subsequent  conversation  with  her  upon  the  subject, 
she  told  him  the  history  of  this  strange  phenomenon.  She 
said,  "  Once  while  conversing  with  an  honorable  gentleman, 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  he  complimented  me 
upon  the  quiet  and  unostentatious  character  of  my  piety.  I 
replied,  'It  is  a  source  of  gratification  to  me  that  I  am  not 
as  demonstrative  as  some.'  Instantly  a  power  seized  me 
that  I  could  not  resist,  and  I  uttered  those  two  screams. 
Since  then  I  have  found  it  in  vain  to  resist  when  that  power 
is  upon  me." 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Redfield  could  get  the  attention  of  the 
congregation,  he  began  the  service.  But  often  during  the 
evening  she  gave  those  two  peculiar  screams.  The  curiosity 
of  the  people  was  aroused  to  know  what  it  could  mean;  yet 


234  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

when  the  invitation  was  given  for  seekers  of  holiness,  the 
altar  was  crowded  with  them.  The  prayer  meeting  began, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  a  seeker  at  the  altar  screamed  in  like 
manner;  and  then  another,  and  another.  Finally,  one 
woman's  scream  was  entirely  different  from  the  rest.  It 
sounded  as  you  would  imagine  a  woman  would  scream  if  a 
knife  was  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  thrust  through  her 
heart.  A  sister  of  hers  came,  took  hold  of  her,  and  shook 
her,  commanding  her  to  stop;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  Some 
six  or  eight  were  exercised  in  that  manner  during  the  altar 
service. 

In  the  midst  of  this,  Mr.  Purdy,  who  was  assisting  in 
the  meeting,  asked, 

"  Don't  you  think  you  had  better  check  it?" 

"  I  do  not  yet.  If  God  makes  the  duty  plain,  I  will;  but 
not  till  then." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  make  of  it?" 

"  I  don't  know.  But  I  shall  not  wonder  if  God  is  pre- 
paring to  meet  and  overcome  the  magicians  in  this  town. 
You  perceive  no  one  can  possibly  make  such  a  sound  of 
themselves.  Besides,  there  is  no  fear  of  hypocrites  attempt- 
ing it,  for  it  is  too  humiliating." 

The  service  closed,  and  Mr.  Redfield  returned  to  his 
boarding  place. 

The  sister  of  the  lady  of  the  house  was  stopping  there 
also,  and  she  was  one  of  those  who  had  been  so  strangely 
exercised.  Mr.  Redfield  now  thought  he  would  have  a  good 
opportunity  to  study  the  phenomena.  This  woman  was 
about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  married.  She,  as  well  as  all 
the  rest  of  those  so  exercised,  was  of  good  repute  and 
good  standing  in  society.  Before  retiring  for  the  night 
the  entire  company  knelt  in  prayer.  She  commenced 
those  screams  again,  and  continued  them  for  about  five 
minutes  with  a  rapidity  that  he  believed  no  one  could  imitate. 
After  rising  from  prayer,  all  retired  for  the  .night.  In  the 


CONVERSATION  ABOUT  THE  SCREAMING.          235 

morning  Mr.  Red  field  had  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  her 
in  regard  to  the  exercises  of  the  evening  before.  She  ap- 
peared very  solemn  when  she  came  into  the  room,  and  imme- 
diately, in  a  subdued  tone  of  voice,  and  in  humbleness  of 
manner,  asked  him: 

"Can  you  tell  me  what  this  means?  When  I  went  to  bed 
last  night  it  all  stopped,  but  commenced  again  when  I  arose 
this  morning.  You  know  what  a  spell  I  had  at  family 
prayer  last  night.  Well,  I  thought  I  saw  my  dead  sister 
who  passed  away  triumphantly  a  few  years  ago.  I  also 
seemed  to  see  my  father's  house,  and  my  mother  very  sick; 
and  that  they  want  me  to  come  home." 

Her  sister,  the  lady  of  the  house,  then  came  into  the 
room,  and  asked,  "What  do  you  make  of  this?" 

He  replied:  "I  cannot  tell;  and  yet  my  opinion  is,  that  it 
is  something  God  has  sent,  or  permitted,  to  put  cavilers  to 
silence." 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  right  for  me  to  pray  the 
Lord  to  stop  it?"  she  asked. 

"I  do  not,  sister.  My  impression  is,  that  you  should  not 
court  it,1  nor  fight  it.  Let  it  alone;  seek  only  to  be  right 
with  God,  and  if  it  is  allowed  to  come,  then  there  is  an 
object  it  will  serve.  Let  it  come,  or  go,  upon  you." 

"Oh,  I  would  not  have  it  come  upon  me  for  ten  thousand 
worlds." 

With  a  scream,  her  sister  replied,  "It  will  come  upon 
you." 

At  that  she  began  to  tremble,  and  sat  down.  She  was 
holding  a  wash  bowl  and  pitcher  in  her  hands,  and  so  vio- 
lently was  she  shaken  that  Mr.  Redfield  feared  they  would 
be  broken,  and  he  took  them  from  her.  At  this,  with  a  shriek 
louder  than  any  he  had  yet  heard,  she  was  thrown  upon  the 
floor,  and  then,  as  if  seized  by  a  giant  power,  she  was  lifted 
up  and  taken  into  another  room.  This  was  attended  with 
those  screams,  or  rather  those  movements  attended  the  screams, 


236  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

for  the  screams  came  first.    After  a  little  she  was  able  to  con- 
verse. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  now?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Oh,"  said  she,  "I  would  not  have  them  taken  from  me 
for  ten  thousand  worlds." 

"Are  you  in  pain  when  you  scream?" 

"I  was  at  first,  but  soon  it  was  the  joy  that  filled  me.  It 
was  beyond  anything  I  ever  dreamed  could  be  this  side  of 
heaven." 

"Is  it  because  you  feel  such  joy  that  you  put  forth  an 
effort  to  scream ;  that  is,  -is  the  scream  the  result  of  your 
effort?" 

"Oh,  no!  I  put  forth  no  effort  at  all.  But  a  power  seems 
to  take  hold  of  me,  and  I  am  compelled  to  scream.  I  cannot 
resist  it." 

Of  all  the  other  cases  which  he  examined,  and  there  were 
a  large  number  of  them,  some  of  screaming,  some  of  jump- 
ing, and  others  of  a  kind  of  dancing,  in  every  case  they  tes- 
tified the  same;  that  is,  it  was  produced  by  an  unseen  power, 
unexplainable  by  them,  that  took  hold  of  them,  and  over 
which  they  had  no  control.  In  one  case,  the  woman  prayed 
that  it  might  leave,  and  it  did  leave;  but  she  was  instantly  in 
an  agony  of  despair,  and  found  no  rest  until  she  prayed  for 
its  return.  Another  had  a  similar  experience. 

In  the  case  of  the  first  one  he  examined,  who  seemed  to 
have  the  vision  of  her  father's  house  and  the  sickness  of  her 
mother,  in  a  few  hours  after  her  statement  to  Mr.  Redfield, 
she  received  a  letter  by  mail,  in  which  the  foregoing  was  cor- 
roborated. 

Whatever  the  reader  may  think  of  these  incidents,  if  can- 
did, he  must  admit  the  wisdom  of  Mr.  Redfield's  advice: 
"They  are  not  to  be  courted,  or  fought."  Since  that  day 
there  has  been  much  of  such  demonstrations.  Some  of  the 
best  of  Christians,  persons  of  clear  understanding,  and  of 
pure  lives,  have  had  them.  It  is  also  true,  that  many  of  in- 
consistent, and  in  some  cases  of  impure  lives,  have  had  them. 


MUCH  TO  BE  YET  EXPLAINED.  237 

Usually  where  there  has  been  extreme  encouragement  of 
them,  it  has  resulted  in  mischief.  The  same  may  be  said 
where  there  has  been  determined  opposition  to  them.  Those 
who  have  neither  courted  nor  fought  them  have  got  along 
with  them  the  best.  It  has  been  demonstrated, — beyond  all 
doubt,  in  the  minds  of  the  observing, — that  they  are  not  in- 
fallible marks  of  piety.  Another  thing  is  also  true, — as  yet 
mankind  knows  but  little  of  mental  science,  and  probably 
many  of  the  strange  phenomena  of  mental  operation  are  yet 
to  be  explained. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

WHEN  Mr.  Redfielcl  began  his  work  at  Salina,  as  usual 
he  tried  the  best  he  was  able  to  set  forth  the  standard  of  holi- 
ness in  view  of  having  "something  to  work  up  to,"  as  he  ex- 
pressed it.  He  pressed  the  people  to  seek  this  experience. 
Many  came  forward  for  that  purpose,  but  were  unsuccessful 
in  seeking  it.  He  then  made  the  discovery,  after  careful  ex- 
amination, that  the  mass  of  them  were  backslidden  from  God. 
So  he  publicly  confessed  his  mistake  in  preaching  holiness  to 
them,  when  they  needed  justification.  He  then  attempted  to 
impress  the  truths  related  to  that  phase  of  religious  experi- 
ence. But  again  they  were  brought  to  a  stand.  More  thor- 
ough searching,  and  humbling  themselves  before  God,  and 
it  was  discovered  that  the  mass  of  the  people  in  the  religious 
confusion  that  had  reigned,  had  fallen  below  even  morality. 
So  he  confessed  his  mistake  again,  and  began  preaching  to 
them  the  first  principles  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

He  now  began  to  have  some  of  his  own  peculiar  experi- 
ences again,  that  had  often  attended  his  most  successful  efforts. 
He  began  to  be  "burdened"  for  the  work.  He  had  often 
had  these  struggles,  and  sometimes  with  a  severity  that 
threw  him  upon  his  bed  as  if  with  a  fit  of  sickness,  and  held 
him  there  until  victory  came.  One  night  in  the  church  he 
was  filled  with  unspeakable  agony  for  souls.  If  he  could 
have  howled  like  the  old  prophets,  it  would  have  relieved 
him;  but  this  he  could  not  do.  He  thought  he  could  not  en- 
dure it.  He  attempted  to  go  out  of  the  church,  but  was 
checked  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  then  said,  "Lord,  I'll  try 
to  hold  on."  He  then  began  to  cry  out,  "O  my  God,  this 
people  must  be  saved."  At  this  he  was  instantly  relieved. 
The  whole  church  was  now  in  commotion.  Screams  for 
mercy  mingled  with  shouts  of  rejoicing  were  heard  on  every 

(M) 


WATCHING  FOR  PROSELYTES.  239 

side.  At  this  time  commenced  the  strange  demonstrations 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

When  the  revival  was  fully  under  motion,  and  these  dem- 
onstrations were  becoming  common,  then  the  curious  be- 
gan to  come  to  witness  the  strange  sights.  One  night  sev- 
eral came  near  the  altar  and  asked  permission  to  observe 
them  closely.  It  was  given  them,  and  soon  they  began  to 
make  remarks  as  follows: 

"It  is  nothing  but  hysterics." 

"Do  you  understand  physiology?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Yes,  well  enough  to  know  this  is  nothing  but  hys- 
terics." 

"Are  people  usually  happy  when  they  have  hysterics?" 

They  did  not  answer. 

Another  said :  "It's  nothing  but  psychology." 

Another  said:  "It's  spiritualism." 

Another  said:  "It  is  easy  enough  to  produce  it  all." 

Mr.  Redfield  was  afterwards  told  that  some  of  these  men 
held  meetings  in  which  they  tried  to  imitate  these  phenomena, 
but  failed.  They  then  declared  it  to  be  supernatural.  Many 
of  these  men  were  soon  after  converted  to  God. 

The  experience  of  a  Unitarian  woman  well  illustrates  the 
thoroughness  of  Mr.  Redfield's  methods.  She  was  of  high 
standing  in  the  community  because  of  her  wealth  and  benev- 
olence. In  years  past  she  had  been  an  active  member  of  an 
orthodox  church,  and  none  had  been  more  deeply  engaged 
in  revival  work  than  she.  Of  late  she  had  pretended  not  to 
believe  in  anything  of  that  kind.  God  now  got  hold  of  her 
by  his  truth.  When  she  came  forward  some  of  the  more 
worldly  of  the  Methodists  seemed  much  elated.  The  ex- 
pression on  their  faces  seemed  to  say,  "Now,  she  will  give 
our  church  character,  and  we'll  be  thought  something  of." 
Mr.  Redfield  thought  he  detected  this,  and  resolved  that  she 
should  go  through  it  if  it  was  possible.  He  knelt  near  her  and 


240  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

asked  her  loud  enough  for  all  to  hear  it,  "Madam,  what  is 
your  wish  in  coming  to  the  altar?" 

"I  want  religion." 

"Then  pray  right  out  loud  for  salvation." 

"Oh,"  said  she,  "I  cannot  pray  for  myself." 

"Well,  then,  I  cannot  pray  for  you." 

"Why,  I  have  said  I  would  go  to  hell  before  I'd  ever 
pray  in  such  a  place  as  this." 

Raising  his  voice,  he  repeated  her  words,  and  then  said, 
"Madam,  you  will  either  take  that  back,  or  you  will  go  to 
hell.  You  need  not  think  of  succeeding  in  your  rebellion 
against  God." 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  mercy  for  me?"  she  inquired. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  replied,  "your  case  is  a  hard  one,  and 
it  may  be  you  have  already  passed  beyond  the  limits  of  mercy; 
but  I  would  try  to  pray." 

"Well,  I'll  try." 

"But  will  you  pray  in  your  family?" 

"Oh,"  said  she,  "I  have  said  I'd  sooner  be  damned  than 
pray  before  my  husband." 

"Well,"  said  he,  "you'll  take  that  back,  or  be  lost  for- 
ever." 

"Well,  I  will,"  she  replied. 

"But  you  have  exerted  an  influence  against  God  and 
Christ  among  the  Unitarians;  now  will  you  go  to  them  and 
confess  this,  and  cut  your  acquaintance  with  them,  and  tell 
them  why  you  do  it?" 

This  was  a  hard  task,  but  after  being  shown  that  her 
course  had  been  one  of  hostility  to  God  and  the  right,  and  if 
she  desired  to  make  clean  work,  she  must  now  do  this,  at 
last,  she  said, 

"I  will  do  it." 

"One  thing  more.  Will  you  exhort  them  to  seek  Jesus, 
and  then  pray  with  them  before  you  leave  them?" 

Some  may  think  this  was  carrying  the  matter  too  far,  and 


A  UNITARIAN  MINISTER'S  SUGGESTION.          241 

she  felt  it  was  a  hard  thing  for  her  to  do.  But  Mr.  Redfield 
thought  it  a  wicked  thing  for  a  woman  in  high  position  to 
use  her  influence  against  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  so  he  insisted 
upon  her  making  the  thing  right  with  God  and  man. 

"Well,  I  will,"  said  she,  at  last. 

She  then  turned  and  asked  one  to  pray  for  her,  of  whom 
she  had  said,  "I  never  want  him  to  pray  for  me."  The  mo- 
ment she  made  this  request  she  fell  helpless  to  the  floor. 
She  was  truly  saved,  and  did  her  duty  faithfully,  and  God 
was  with  her  in  power. 

One  of  the  Unitarian  ministers  came  to  him  one  day  for  a 
talk.  After  a  formal  introduction,  he  said : 

"I  am  happy  to  make  your  acquaintance.  I  have  attended 
some  of  your  meetings,  and  I  desire  to  say  to  you,  that  I  ex- 
tend to  you  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  But  I  think  you 
might  adopt  one  suggestion  I  will  make,  and  that  to  your 
advantage." 

"What  is  that,  sir?"  inquired  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Let  us  win  our  way  to  the  hearts  of  sinners  by  showing 
Christian  love  among  ourselves.  Just  let  them  see  how  our 
religion  unites  us  all  together,  and  this  will  recommend  the 
benign  religion  of  our  Saviour." 

"But  how  far  would  you  have  me  go  with  this?"  asked 
Mr.  Redfield. 

"All  who  even  take  the  name  of  Christian,  are  entitled  to 
our  charity  and  brotherly  love." 

"But  suppose  a  man  tells  me  there  is  no  more  virtue  in  the 
blood  of  Jesus  than  in  the  blood  of  a  hog?"  (This  had  been 
preached  in  this  man's  pulpit,  unrebuked.) 

"Well,  it  will  do  no  good  to  hold  a  man  off  and  deny  him 
your  charity  for  opinion's  sake." 

"Further,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "suppose  he  tells  me  he 
does  not  believe  in  God,  nor  heaven,  nor  hell,  nor  Christ,  nor 
a  future  state?" 

"Well,  it  is  a  free  country,  and   any  one  has  a  right  to 


242  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

believe  what  he  pleases;  and  we  can  do  no  good  to  a  man  by 
prescribing  what  he  shall  believe  as  a  condition  to  his  receiv- 
ing our  charity." 

At  this  Mr.  Redfield  said:  "Let  us  pray,"  and  kneeling 
down,  prayed  for  his  visitor  as  a  poor,  deluded  man. 

At  the  afternoon  service  this  man  was  present.  After  a 
time  he  arose  and  said: 

"I  desire  to  say  here,  to  this  church,  that  I  feel  a  great 
interest  in  these  meetings.  They  meet  with  my  hearty 
approval." 

When  he  sat  down,  Mr.  Redfield  arose,  and  said:  "I 
want  this  congregation  to  understand  that,  as  a  church,  we 
have  no  fellowship  with  infidels  or  atheists.  And  I  know 
this  man  to  be  such  from  conversation  with  him  to-day.  God 
calls  upon  us  and  angels,  to  worship  Christ, —  to  worship 
Jesus." 

Instantly  the  power  of  God  seemed  to  fill  the  whole  house. 

These  services  continued  a  short  time  longer.  The  church 
edifice  was  saved,  the  debt  paid  off,  the  minister  received  back 
for  another  year,  and  well  provided  for;  there  was  a  large 
addition  to  the  membership,  a  good  parsonage  built,  a  second 
church  built  near  by  to  accommodate  the  congregation,  and 
that  all  paid  for,  and  the  whole  within  a  few  months,  as  the 
fruit  of  this  revival  meeting. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

MR.  REDFIELD  now  went  back  to  the  city  of  Syracuse 
to  see  if  he  could  find  an  opportunity  to  labor  there.  He- 
went  to  the  house  of  Brother  Hicks,  and  sent  for  the  preacher 
in  charge.  When  he  arrived,  Mr.  Redfield  immediately 
stated  his  reasons  for  sending  for  him. 

He  said:  "For  the  first  time  in  my  experience,  I  ask  for 
an  opportunity  to  come  here  and  hold  a  revival  meeting.  I 
am  a  Methodist;  and  I  have  had  a  wonderful  experience 
with  regard  to  this  matter;  and  I  am  sure  God  has  designs 
of  great  mercy  for  this  city;  and  from  my  feelings,  I  think 
he  designs  that  I  shall  be  identified  with  it.  Now,  I  desire 

O  • 

to  know  if  you  will  allow  me  to  hold  a  meeting  in  your 
church?" 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "if  God  designs  you  to  hold  a  meeting  in 
this  place  he  will  open  the  way  for  you." 

"But  will  you  allow  me  to  hold  a  meeting  in  your  church?" 

"It  will  cost  too  much  for  expenses." 

"I  have  anticipated  that  objection,  and  I  have  brought 
money  enough  with  me  to  pay  expenses  for  a  few  months; 
and  I  will  labor  free  of  charge  if  you  will  allow  me  to  come 
into  your  church  and  hold  a  meeting." 

"Well,  you  cannot  be  allowed   to  come  into  my  church." 

"Then,  brother,  you  will  not  feel  afflicted  if  away  should 
open  in  some  other  denomination  for  me  to  labor  here." 

"Of  course  not,"  he  replied,  with  an  expression  on  his 
face  that  indicated  his  doubts  of  that  ever  coming  to  pass. 

The  next  mail  brought  to  Mr.  Redfield  a  request  to  come 
to  Palmyra,  the  home  of  his  friend,  Fay  H.  Purely,  to  hold  a 
meeting.  In  response  to  this,  he  took  the  cars  for  that 
place.  As  he  drew  near,  his  old  sign  of  coming  victory  made 
its  appearance  again.  He  had  no  knowledge  of  the  place, 
not  even  its  exact  location.  When  he  arrived  at  the  station 

(243) 


244  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDKIELD. 

where  he  was  to  leave  the  cars,  he  found  himself  about  nine 
miles  away,  and  that  the  public  conveyance  was  a  stage. 
While  waiting,  a  gentleman  approached  him  with  the  ques- 
tion: "Will  a  ride  in  a  private  conveyance,  at  the  same  price, 
be  agreeable?" 

"Yes,  sir;  and  much  preferable,"  Mr.  Redfield  replied. 

As  soon  as  he  was  seated,  and  on  the  way,  the  following 
conversation  took  place: 

"Do  you  live  in  Palmyra?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Do  you  know  a  man  by  the  name  of  Purdy?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What  of  him?  I  hear  a  great  many  things  about  him. 
What  is  he?" 

"Oh,  the  man  is  in  bad  repute  among  the  people  where  he 
is  best  known." 

"He  is  a  Methodist,  and  labors  in  revival  meetings,  I 
believe?"  remarked  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Yes;  but  the  people  here  have  no  confidence  in  him." 

"He  is,  probably,  a  man  who  swears?"  said  Mr.  Redfield, 
enquiringly. 

"Oh,  no;  I  don't  think  anybody  would  accuse  him  of  that." 

"Well,  he  probably  lies?"  Mr.  Redfield  continued. 

"Oh,  no;  not  that  either." 

"Well,  he  mUst  be  a  great  cneat, — a  dishonest  man?"  said 
Mr.  Redfield,  in  the  same  inquiring  tone. 

"Oh,  no." 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  he  then  asked. 

"I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  man.  "I  am  a  Methodist,  but  it 
is  the  world's  people  who  find  fault  with  him." 

"Well,  what  is  it  they  have  against  him?"1 

"The  world  says,  'If  he  is  so  zealous  for  religion,  why 
doesn't  he  stay  at  home  where  his  work  is  needed  ?" 

"You  have  a  new  preacher  since  conference,  I  believe?" 

"Yes,  sir." 


AT  PALMYRA,  N.  Y.  245 

"Well,  how  do  you  like  him?" 

"Oh,  not  at  all." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  him?" 

"Why,  he  is  too  old,  and  he  does  not  keep  himself  tidy. 
He  is  no  honor  to  Methodism." 

Said  Mr.  Redfield,  sternly,  "I  know  what  the  trouble  is 
with  you;  you  are  all  backslidden  from  God.  I  am  going 
to  the  house  of  Brother  Purdy." 

When  he  arrived  and  had  a  proper  opportunity,  he  asked 
Brother  Purdy,  "  What  is  the  matter  with  your  new 
preacher  ?" 

"Well,  I  will  tell  you.  He  is  a  good  man,  but  our  church 
is  backslidden  and  formal,  and  they  think  he  is  not  up  with 
the  times.  We  have  not  had  a  revival  in  sixteen  years.  In 
spirituality  the  Congregationalists  have  far  outstripped  us. 
They  have  revivals,  but  we  do  not.  Our  church  has  been 
mortgaged,  and  the  mortgage  foreclosed,  and  it  is  to  be  sold 
in  a  short  time.  Spiritual  worship  has  been  turned  out  of 
doors,  and  an  organ  has  been  put  into  the  gallery  to  make  up 
the  deficiency,  and  to  pander  to  the  tastes  of  the  world.  The 
preacher  was  not  received,  and  the  elder  has  been  denounced 
as  a  'pope,'  because  he  will  not  remove  him.  The  dandy 
preacher  who  was  here  before  him,  wore  his  gold  spec- 
tacles, and  carried  a  gold-headed  cane,  and  acted  the  fop,  and 
now  the  contrast  is  too  great  for  them  to  abide.  They  have 
not  paid  the  new  preacher  a  cent,  and  say  they  will  not. 
So  I  have  given  him  a  shelter,  and  am  supplying  his  wants." 

Mr.  Redfield  now  understood  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
looked  to  God  for  direction  and  help. 

He  was  now  taken  to  the  house  that  was  to  be  his  home  dur- 
ing his  stay.  He  had  scarcely  got  to  the  room  assigned  him, 

when  a  Brother  B was  brought  in  and  introduced  to  him. 

Mr.  Redfield  found  him  to  be  a  good  man,  who  lived  some 
seven  miles  away,  and  had  come  to  spend  the  Sabbath  in  the 
meetings. 


246  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  RBDFIKI.D. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Rcdficld  arose  early,  and  went 

down  the  stairs.     Soon    he   heard    Brother  B groaning 

loudly  in  the  room  adjoining,  and  a  glance  through  the  win- 
dow revealed  a  large  number  of  people  standing  on  the 
walk  who  had  been  attracted  by  the  noise.  Mr.  Redfield 
asked  the  family,  "What  does  this  all  mean?" 

"Oh,"  said  one,  "it  is  Brother  B at  his  devotions." 

"What  kind  of  a  man  and  Christian  is  he?" 

"Oh,  he  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  men.  Everybody 
knows  Brother  B to  be  an  excellent  Christian." 

The  preacher  in  charge  was  to  preach  that  morning,  and 
Mr.  Redfield  did  not  go  to  the  church  until  time  for  the  ser- 
mon. As  he  entered  the  church  he  heard  quite  a  com- 
motion in  the  basement;  and  on  reaching  the  pulpit,  the  old 
minister  said:  "We  have  been  having  awful  times  down 
stairs  this  morning!" 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Mr.  Redfield.. 

"Oh,  Brother  B fell  to  the  floor,  and  made  so  much 

fuss  that  he  scared  the  people  till  they  ran  out  of  the  house. 
My  wife  is  very  angry  about  it.  Hark!  hear  Brother  B !" 

And  there  came  up  from  the  basement  a  cry  of  anguish, 
and  the  words:  "O  God!  I  shall  die  if  this  church  is  not 
saved!" 

Said  the  preacher:  "I  think  I  had  better  go-and  lock  him 
in  a  class-room." 

"Brother,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "let  him  alone.  The  spirit 
that  would  interfere  with  him,  would  drag  Christ  from  the 
Garden  of  Gethsemane." 

"But  I  am  afraid  he  will  come  up  stairs!" 

"Well,  let  him  come." 

"But  he  makes  such  an  awful  noise!" 

"Well,  you  need  an  awful  noise.  If  you  get  salvation 
enough,  you'll  get  where  you  will  be  able  to  hear  a  hallelujah 
without  fainting  away." 

"There  he  comes,"  said  the  preacher. 


A  DISTURBED  PREACHER.  247 

"Well,  let  him  come." 

And  sure  enough  he  did  come,  and  crying  out  in  great 
agony  as  he  came.  As  he  reached  the  altar  he  fell  to  the 
floor,  and  Mr.  Purely  cried  out,  "Amen!"  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  One  of  the  old  members  who  sat  near  by  asked  in  an 
angry  voice,  "What  did  you  say  amen  for?" 

"Because  I'm  glad  to  see  God  get  one  more  chance  to 
breathe  in  this  church." 

"Well,"  said  the  preacher,  "I  will  go  and  put  him  into  a 
pew." 

He  did   so,  but   soon  Brother  B rolled  off  onto  the 

floor,  and  made  more  noise  than  ever. 

The  old  minister  tried   to  preach,  but  the  struggles  and 

cries  of   Brother  B made  it  almost  impossible  for  him  to 

do  so.  When  the  sermon  was  ended,  Mr.  Redfield  took  oc- 
casion to  endorse  Brother  B ;  and  seeing  the  preacher 

was  in  great  distress  of  mind  over  it,  he  thought  it  best  to  go 
home  with  him.  When  they  arrived  at  the  house  they  found 
one  of  the  lady  members  almost  in  hysterics  over  the  matter. 
The  preacher  tried  to  soothe  her,  but  Mr.  Redfield  said  to 
him,  "Don't  smooth  over  the  matter;  she  is  righting  against 
God."  After  a  little  she  began  to  confess  that  she  was  not 
right.  The  preacher  now  declared  his  intention  to  send 
Brother  B home  the  next  day. 

"Well,  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "then  I'll  go,  too." 

"Oh,  you  must  not  go.  We  must  have  a  revival  or  lose 
our  church." 

"I  don't  care  about  your  church.  It  would  be  no  calamity 
to  lose  it,"  replied  Mr.  Redfield.  "They  have  managed  to 
keep  God  out  for  sixteen  years,  and  it  is  now  ruled  by  the 
spirit  of  the  world.  The  members  are  on  the  road  to  hell, 
and  will  get  there  if  they  don't  repent." 

"But  they  will  not  pay  me  a  cent  of  my  claim,  and  want 
to  drive  me  off;  and  I  am  dependent  on  Brother  Purely  for 


248  LIKK  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

shelter  and  for  the  necessaries  of  life;  and  the  church  is  to  be 
sold  in  a  few  weeks." 

"Let  it  go;  it's  a  curse  in  its  present  condition." 
"Well,  don't  leave  us,  and  I'll  let  him  stay." 
"But,  brother,  there  is  another  item  I  want  in  the  condi- 
tions, and  that  is,  if  you  believe  that  brother  to  be  a  good 
man,  you  must  give  him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.     If 
you  do  not,  you'll  have  two  parties  in  your  church  over  this 
very  matter.     The  people  saw  this   morning   that  you  were 
greatly  tried  with  the  good  brother,  and  unless  you  settle  the 
matter  at  once  you  will  have  sympathizers  with  you.     Now, 
by  prompt  action  on  your  part  you  can  stop  all  that." 
"Well,"  said  he,  "don't  leave,  and  I'll  do  it." 
"Very  well;  do  it  to-night  when  I  am  through  preach- 
ing." 

When  the  time  came  he  stood  up  in  the  altar  and  con- 
fessed to  the  congregation,  and  to  Brother  B ,  how  he 

had  been  tried,  and  turning  to  Brother  B ,  said,  "Brother 

B ,  I  give  you  the   right   hand   of   fellowship,  come  into 

the  altar;"  and  instantly  he  dropped  to  the  floor.  As  soon  as 
he  could  command  himself,  he  said,  "If  I  had  given  way  to 
my  feelings  I  should  have  made  a  great  deal  more  noise  than 
Brother  B —  —  did  this  morning.  I  have  not  had  such  a 
blessing  in  twenty-three  years." 

Now  began  the  war.  One  infidel,  a  merchant,  who  paid 
ten  dollars  a  year  for  a  seat  in  the  church,  and  did  the  same 
thing  for  a  seat  in  another  church,  in  great  wrath  arose  and 
left  the  church.  His  wife  pulled  out  the  cushion  and  started 
after  him;  both  declaring  they  would  never  have  anything 
more  to  do  with  the  Methodist  Church.  But  this  only  created 
the  more  stir,  and  curiosity  brought  the  people  out  from  near 
and  from  far.  The  house  became  so  crowded  that  it  was 
necessary  to  have  services  both  in  the  basement  and  in  the 
upper  room  at  the  same  time.  One  night  there  were  thirty 
conversions,  and  more  than  five  hundred  were  converted  in  a 


THE  CHURCH  SAVED.  249 

few  weeks.  The  preacher  was  taken  into  favor  and  provided 
for,  the  liabilities  against  the  property  paid ;  and  Methodism 
took  hold  anew  in  that  community. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

MR.  REDFIELD  now  received  a  letter  from  the  Congre- 
gational society  of  Syracuse,  inviting  him  to  hold  a  revival 
meeting  in  their  church.  He  obeyed  the  call  at  once.  When 
he  arrived  at  Syracuse  he  went  immediately  to  one  of  the 
deacons  of  the  society  to  talk  over  the  matter.  He  asked: 

"Is  it  true  that  your  church  wishes  me,  a  Methodist,  to 
hold  a  protracted  meeting?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  deacon,  "we  passed  such  a  resolution." 

He  then  took  Mr.  Redfield  to  see  one  of  the  other  dea- 
cons, who  corroborated  the  statement  of  the  first. 

"Well,  deacon,  how  long  since  you  had  a  revival  in  this 
city?" 

"Oh,  we  had  a  kind  of  a  stir  about  fifteen  years  ago,  but 
nothing  to  amount  to  much  in  twenty-five  years." 

"Have  you  put  forth  any  effort?" 

"Oh,  yes;  we  have  had  Finney,  and  Lovering  and  Knapp, 
but  nothing  scarcely  was  accomplished.  There  are  now  five 
churches  in  the  city  without  pastors,  and  the  place  is  given 
over  to  the  Unitarians." 

"Well,  deacon,  had  you  not  better  put  lhat  question  to 
vote  over  again,  that  you  may  do  this  thing  with  your  eyes 
open?  I  am  sure  the  old  gospel  is  as  potent  as  ever.  I  can 
do  nothing,  but  that  can.  You  must  prepare  yourselves  for 
a  great  conflict,  and  many  things  that  will  shock  all  your 
ideas  of  order  and  propriety.  I  will  tell  you  what  I'll  do:  if 
any  fighting  or  setting  the  church  on  fire  takes  place,  I  will 
do  all  I  can  to  regulate  that;  but  if  God  comes, — and  that 
he  will  in  awful  power, — and  the  people  shout  or  lose 
their  strength,  or  anything  else  that  God  owns  by  working 
in  the  midst  of  it,  you  must  not  interfere." 

One  deacon  said,  "I  have  taken  my  stand,  and  I  have  no 
back  tracks  to  make." 

(250) 


A  DEACON  REMONSTRATES.      -  251 

The  other  said,  "The  devil  has  had  full  swing  for  fifteen 
years,  without  let  or  hinderance,  and  I  think  it  no  more  than 
right  that  God  should  be  allowed  to  have  one  chance  more." 

"Very  good,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  will  go  forward.-" 

He  then  went  to  see  a  Methodist  preacher  who  lived  not 
far  away,  and  asked  him  to  assist  in  the  work,  but  he  de- 
clined on  account  of  poor  health;  but  he  felt  there  was  no 
use  of  asking  the  one  who  had  refused  to  allow  him  to  work 
in  his  church,  and  who  had  so  sneeringly  said  he  had  no  ob- 
jections to  Mr.  Redfield  laboring  in  the  city  with  other  de- 
nominations. Yet  this  minister  was  soon  active  in  circulat- 
ing the  report  that  Mr.  Redfield  was  making  war  on  Meth- 
odism. 

Mr.  Redfield  had  preached  but  a  few  times,  when  in  one 
of  the  afternoon  meetings,  one  deacon  arose  and  vehemently 
protested  against  the  Congregational  church  being  used  to 
make  the  people  confess. 

Mr.  Redfield  replied,  that  he  had  been  invited  with  the 
understanding  that  he  should  not  be  trammeled  in  his  meas- 
ures; that  he  labored  for  nothing,  and  other  churches  were 
calling  for  him,  and  that  he  had  no  time  to  spend  in  conten- 
tion. He  then  said,  "I  want  to  know  if  I  am  to  be  allowed 
to  go  forward  or  not."  A  vote  was  taken  which  resulted  in 
his  favor,  and  the  deacon  was  quieted.  The  meetings  went 
on  a  few  days  more,  and  the  deacon  could  endure  it  no  longer; 
and  he  became  very  bitter  and  violent  in  his  remarks.  Again 
the  vote  was  taken  and  again  the  deacon  was  voted  dawn. 
In  a  few  days  more  he  arose  in  a  meeting  all  broken  in 
spirit,  and  made  a  most  startling  confession  to  the  church  and 
congregation. 

The  Spirit  was  now  being  poured  out  in  great  power. 
Two  Presbyterian  elders  fell  under  the  power  one  night. 
While  they  lay  there  a  deacon  approached  Mr.  Redfield  and 
said,  "You  Methodists  get  greatly  excited." 


252  "     LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Mr.  Redfield  replied,  "Do  you  know  that  man  lying  over 
there?"  "No!"  "Well,  that  is  a  Presbyterian  elder." 

"What!  can  that  he  possible?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  sir;"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "and  you  all  have  Method- 
ist hearts,  and  if  you  would  give  God  a  chance  at  you,  he 
would  do  the  same  things  with  you." 

Among  the  confessions  made  was  one  by  a  young  lady, 
who  said,  "I  have  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church 
for  ten  years,  but  have  been  deceived  all  this  time.  I  never 
knew  until  now  what  religion  was.  But  I  know  it  now." 

A  Unitarian  lady,  who  came  to  the  meetings,  she  said,  to 
prevent  a  friend  of  hers  from  going  forward,  when  returning 
home  the  same  night,  fell  while  passing  the  Unitarian  church, 
and  cried  out  in  great  agony  for  mercy.  Several  persons 
who  heard  her,  guided  to  her  through  the  darkness  by  her 
voice,  went  to  her  assistance.  The  first  words  she  spoke  to 
them  were,  "Can  any  of  you  pray?"  They  took  her  to  her 
own  home,  and  one  of  them  who  had  a  religious  friend,  went 
for  that  friend  to  come  and  pray,  but  the  friend  was  back- 
slidden from  God,  and  was  obliged  to  become  a  seeker  first, 
before  he  could  aid  her;  and  both  were  saved  that  night. 

So  great  was  the  religious  interest,  and  the  danger  to  the 
Unitarians,  that  they  sent  to  Boston  for  Theodore  Parker  to 
preach  in  their  church  for  a  season.  He  came,  and  flaming 
handbills  were  posted  through  the  city  announcing  his  arri- 
val, and  the  themes  of  his  discourses.  But  a  violent  storm 
which  swept  over  the  city  a  few  days  after  he  came  so  dam- 
aged their  church  that  he  returned  to  Boston. 

Some  of  the  fruit  of  this  revival  still  remains.  In  after 
years,  in  the  West,  Mr.  Redfield  was  welcomed  and  cheered 
by  the  faithful  ones  who  in  this  revival  were  brought  into  the 
light.  Rev.  M.  V.  Clute,  of  the  Illinois  Conference  of  the 
Free  Methodist  Church,  has  given  me  the  following  incident: 
MI  was  a  lay  member  of  the  Congregationalist  Church  in  a 
neighboring  town.  During  the  time  of  Mr.  Redfield's  labors 
in  Syracuse  I  visited  my  brother  in  that  city.  While  at  sup- 


AN  INCIDENT  BY 'REV.  M.  V.  CLUTE.  253 

per  the  first  evening,  I  was  asked  to  go  and  hear  him.  When 
we  arrived  at  the  church  we  found  the  seats  near  the  door 
occupied,  and  were  obliged  to  take  one  near  the  pulpit.  In 
a  very  short  time  the  house  was  crowded;  those  who  filled 
the  aisles  stood,  while  those  between  the  seats  and  the  pulpit 
sat  on  the  floor.  He  had  been  preaching  but  a  few  minutes 
when  the  heavy  breathing  of  a  person  attracted  my,  attention. 
For  some  time  I  could  not  make  out  who  it  was,  when  at  last 
a  man  sitting  on  the  floor  threw  up  his  hands,  and  exclaimed 
in  a  loud  voice,  <O  God !'  The  next  moment  he  sprang  to 
his  feet,  and  with  arms  extended,  started  down  one  of  the 
aisles  toward  the  door,  groaning  as  he  went.  The  people 
made  way  for  him,  and  he  crossed  behind  the  body  seats  and 
returned  up  the  other  aisle.  As  he  reached  the  pulpit,  he 
screamed  and  fell  to  the  floor.  During  the  time  Mr.  Red- 
field,  in  perfect  silence,  stood  leaning  on  the  pulpit  watching 
him  with  great  interest.  For  a  few  moments  after  he  fell 
there  was  perfect  quiet  throughout  the  room,  when  suddenly 
from  eighteen  to  twenty  persons  sprang  to  their  feet  and  ran, 
praying,  to  the  altar." 


CHAPTER    XL. 

MR.  REDFIELD  was  now  invited  to  Albion,  N.  Y.,  by 
Rev.  W.  C.  Kendall,  of  blessed  memory.  Mr.  Kendall  was 
a  minister  of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  of  deepest 
piety.  He  was  noted  for  his  faithfulness  as  a  pastor  and 
preacher.  He  had  been  well  received  in  Albion  at  first,  but 
when  it  was  found  impossible  to  get  him  to  moderate  his 
zeal,  to  lower  the  standard  of  piety,  or  to  cease  insisting  upon 
the  membership  living  up  to  the  rules  of  the  church,  some  of 
the  most  influential  members  turned  against  him.  He  com- 
menced revival  meetings  amid  great  opposition,  and  finally 
sent  for  Mr.  Rcdficld. 

Mr.  Redfield  was  well  received  at  first,  and  soon  convic- 
tion became  general.  At  last  the  power  of  God  began  to 
come,  and  one  night  two  or  three  fell.  One  was  a  Baptist. 
This  frightened  the  people,  and  many  hurried  out  of  the 
house.  Some  ran  for  water  to  resuscitate  the  prostrate  ones, 
while  others  broke  window-lights  to  let  in  fresh  air.  Now 
some  cried  out  that  Mr.  Redfield  had  mesmerized  these 
people,  until  many  in  the  church  became  alarmed  and  others 
angry.  Then  persons  began  to  lose  their  strength  at  home, 
and  some  even  miles  away.  It  was  well  for  the  revival  that 
Mr.  Kendall  was  preacher  in  charge,  for  he  was  in  full 
sympathy  with  Rr.  Redfield,  and  gave  him  complete  control 
of  the  services.  In  meeting  and  breaking  through  opposi- 
tion, he  was  one  of  the  most  successful  of  evangelists.  If 
permitted  to  act  freely  he  scarcely  ever  failed  to  succeed.  He 
now  had  the  utmost  freedom,  and  soon  the  tide  of  conviction 
rose  above  all  opposition.  The  scenes  of  power  in  the  serv- 
ices and  in  the  homes  of  the  people  were  marvelous.  In 
the  midst  of  this  the  following  incident  took  place. 

Rev.  J.  M.  F  -  — ,  a  former  pastor  of  the  church,  was 
overheard  to  make  the  remark,  in  the  Methodist  Book  Room, 
in  Buffalo,  that  "  Kendall  has  got  Redfield  to  help  him  in  a 

(254) 


AT  ALBION,  N.  Y.  255 

revival  at  Albion,  and  I  must  go  down  and  attend  to  matters 
there."  The  word  was  brought  to  Albion  by  Rev.  Brother 
T ,  who  heard  J  .  M.  F say  it.  This  brother  re- 
lated the  matter  at  Mr.  Kendall's  tea-table.  With  a  look  of 
serious  alarm,  not  easily  forgotten,  Mr.  Redfield  turned  to 
Mr.  Kendall,  and  said:  "It  is  my  request  that  you  do  not 

ask  Mr.  F into  the  pulpit,  if  he  attends  the  services.     It 

is  obvious  that  his  errand  here  is  to  guard  his  friends  against 
my  peculiar  teachings,  and  for  him  to  sit  with  me  in  the 
pulpit  is  to  pretend  to  be  my  friend.  God  cannot  endorse 
such  a  two-faced  act;  and  my  soul  abhors  such  hypocrisy. 
If  you  want  God  to  help  me  to  preach  to-night,  see  that  you 
do  not  ask  that  man  to  take  any  part  in  the  service." 

Mr.  Kendall,  after  a  few  moments  thought,  replied,  "I 
do  not  think  I  could  ask  him,  no  matter  what  the  conse- 
quences may  be."* 

Mr.  Redfield's  description  of  his  feelings  and  motives 
will  give  a  view  of  his  character,  and  a  clue  to  his  wondrous 
power. 

"This  man  (J.  M.  F.)  came  into  one  of  the  afternoon 
meetings,  and  knowing  what  his  object  was  in  coming  to 
Albion,  I  was  overcome  with  grief.  I  went  up  into  the  pul- 
pit, and  got  down  out  of  sight  and  prayed,  <O  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  sent  me  out  at  the  loss  and  cost  of  all  things,  and 
then  allowed  such  men  to  make  my  way  so  hard?  He  lives 
on  the  fat  of  the  land;  is  pampered  with  a  large  salary, 
while  I  go  unpaid,  meet  the  brunt  of  battle,  and  have 
to  fight  the  devil,  the  world,  and  a  dead  church,  and  preach- 
ers besides.'  I  felt  as  though  my  case  was  too  hard.  My 
bursting  heart  was  so  full  that  I  put  both  hands  upon  my 
mouth  to  keep  from  bellowing  aloud.  And  I  said,  <O, 
Lord,  I  can  go  no  further!'  Then  the  old  voice  rang 
again  in  my  ears,  'You  may  live  while  you  preach  and 
no  longer.'  Oh,  how  I  wished  these  ambitious,  wicked 
men  could  have  seen  how  God  had  to  push  and  crowd  me 
*  Mrs.  M.  F.  LaDue,  formerly  Mrs.  Kendall. 


256  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

out  against  their  opposition.  But  as  usual,  I  had  at  last  to 
come  to  the  point  where  I  could  say,  'I  have  not  yet  resisted 
unto  blood  striving  against  sin.  It  will  not  be  long  before  I 
will  be  called  away,  and  I'll  let  God  settle  all  this.'  I  saw 
somebody  must  stand  up  for  God  and  the  right,  and  it  may 
as  well  be  me  as  any  one." 

In  the  evening,  as  the  congregation  were  seated  after 
singing  the  second  hymn,  the  house  being  very  crowded,  this 
man  entered  and  made  his  way  down  to  the  altar.  He 
looked  up  into  the  pulpit,  and,  as  he  was  not  invited  to  enter 
that,  he  seemed  embarrassed,  his  face  reddened,  a  pew  door 
opened,  and  he  was  provided  with  a  seat.  That  night  Mr. 
Redfield  preached  one  of  his  most  awful  sermons,  from  the 
text:  "And  for  this  cause  shall  God  send  them  strong  delu- 
sions, that  they  should  believe  a  lie  that  they  all  might  be 
damned,  who  believe  not  the  truth,  but  have  pleasure  in  un- 
righteousness."— 2  T.hess.  2:  n,  12.  Those  only  who  have 
heard  him  can  imagine  the  pictures  he  drew  of  those  who 
had  lived  in  the  church  for  years  without  saving  grace;  who 
had  sat  under  the  most  searching  gospel  ministry;  had  seen 
the  truth  exemplified  in  the  lives  of  some  around  them;  and 
yet  closed  their  eyes  and  ears  to  it  all,  rather  than  pay  the 
price  and  humble  themselves  by  repentance  and  confession, 
and  take  the  way  of  self-denial  and  the  cross  of  Christ.  He 
then  outlined  the  track  of  those  ministers  who  have  managed 
for  years  to  preach  without  the  Spirit,  and  have  learned  to 
lie  to  the  people  by  telling  them  the  way  was  not  so  narrow 
after  all.  They  had  become  such  adepts  in  lying  that  they 
preached  and  seemed  to  believe  that  we  have  "peace  in 
Christ,  and  joy  in  the  world,"  in  common  with  all  men  (a 
doctrine  this  very  man  had  preached).  They  lived  for 
money,  and  had  found  that  some  churches  would  pay  the  best 
to  the  man  who  would  preach  to  them  such  stuff.  And  no 
wonder  they  were  in  trouble,  when  a  man  came  along  who 
•would  preach  the  whole  truth,  and  plainly  point  out  that  the 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  SERMON.  257 

wrath  of  Almighty  God  was  upon  sin  and  sinners  in  the 
church. 

The  effect  of  this  sermon  was  electric.  The  Holy  Ghost 
so  attended  it,  that  members  of  other  churches  were  shaken 
as  by  a  whirlwind.  Some  cried  out,  some  fell  prostrate  be- 
fore they  could  get  to  the  altar,  and  others  fell  at  the  altar. 
That  night  and  the  night  following,  the  prostrated  ones  lay 
in  some  places  upon  one  another,  until  the  aisles  were  closed 
for  hours  and  the  congregation  literally  hemmed  in. 

The  minister  referred  to,  fled  as  if  in  consternation,  as 
soon  as  he  could  make  his  escape.  Before  he  left  the  place, 
by  the  circulation  of  slanders  against  Mr.  Redfield,  he 
alienated  many  of  the  members  of  the  church,  who  finally 
withdrew  from  the  meetings,  and  at  last  became  bitter 
opposers  of  the  work.  Among  those  whom  he  attempted 
to  influence  was  an  ex-senator.  This  brother  came  to  Mr. 
Kendall  to  labor  with  him,  when  the  following  conversation 
took  place:  * 

"  I  feel  very  much  grieved  and  tried  with  you.  You 
preach  to  us  that  we  should  treat  each  other  with  Christian 

courtesy,  yet  you  have  not  invited  Brother  F to  preach 

since  he  has  been  here,  and  he  feels  very  much  hurt  over  it." 

«  Well,  Brother  H ,"  replied  Mr.  Kendall,  "  I  can 

now  say  to  you  what  I  could  not  have  said  before  in  regard 
to  that:  and  I'll  ask  you,  How  could  I  invite  him  to  preach 
or  take  part  in  the  meetings  when  I  knew  he  had  come  here 
to  put  a  stop  to  them  ?" 

"  What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Brother  H  —  — . 

"  I  mean  just  what  I  say." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  he  came  here  for  that  purpose?" 

"  Brother  T came  to  me  and  informed  me  that  he 

heard  Mr.  F  -  -  say,  before  he  came  here,  *  Kendall  is 
holding  revival  meetings  at  Albion,  and  has  Redfield  to 
assist  him,  and  I  must  go  down  and  stop  him.'  " 

"  Is  that  so  ?"  asked  Mr.  H 


258  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  KEDFIELD. 

"  It  is  even  so,"  replied  Mr.  Kendall. 

Mr.  II—  -  went  home  and  found  Mr.  F—  —  there;  and 
said  to  him,  "I  am  greatly  astonished  to  learn  that  your  busi- 
ness here  at  this  time  was  to  stop  this  revival;  and  more,  that 
you  should  claim  to  feel  grieved  because  you  were  not  invited 
to  preach!" 

"It  is  all  a  lie,"  said  Mf.  F ,  "let  who  will  say  so.  I 

never  intimated  any  purpose  of  that  kind." 

"It  is  true,  sir,"  said  the  minister  who  brought  the  report, 
and  who  happened  to  be  present.  "I  heard  you  say  it  before 
you  left  Buffalo." 

In  this  instance  this  opposer's  efforts  were  a  failure.  If 
the  same  could  be  said  of  all  his  efforts  to  oppose  the  work 
of  holiness,  different  results  would  have  occurred  in  many 
instances.  Mr.  Red  field  told  the  congregation,  that  observ- 
ation for  some  years,  had  taught  him  that  any  person  who 
passed  through  a  genuine  revival  without  yielding  to  the 
truth  of  God,  became  from  that  time  a  standing  committee  to 
fight  God  and  holiness.  This  proved  true  of  many  in  the 
place.  They  became  the  persecutors  of  those  who  undertook 
to  follow  God  fully.  The  minister  who  came  to  Albion 
to  oppose  the  meetings  became  a  bitter  persecutor  of 
holiness  teachers  in  the  ministry,  and  has  claimed  the  doubt- 
ful honor  of  producing  the  state  of  things  which  caused  the 
rise  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  an  organization  which  re- 
sulted from  this  same  persecution.*  This  man  entered  the 
army  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  of  1861,  was 
subsequently  accused  of  defrauding  the  government,  was  in- 
dicted for  the  offense,  but  for  some  reason  was  never  tried. 
At  the  time  of  this  writing,  December,  1887,  an  effort  is  be- 
ing made  in  Albion,  where  he  attempted  to  stop  the  revival 
described  in  this  chapter,  to  raise  money  to  relieve  him  from 
severe  destitution. 

An  incident  occurred  during  this  meeting  worthy  of  note, 
•  General  Superintendent  Hart. 


ILLUSTRATION  OF  His  THOROUGHNESS.  259 

and  which  illustrates  the  thoroughness  of  Mr.  Redfield's 
work. 

He  labored  to  bring  all  to  the  gospel  level  by  noticing  the 
poor,  and  especially  the  colored  poor.  We  have  already 
seen  him  identified  with  the  anti-slavery  struggle.  In  the 
Albion  church  there  were  some  who  set  themselves  against 
the  colored  people  strongly.  Mr.  Redfield  told  them  several 
times  that  he  never  saw  a  revival  that  was  complete  until  all 
such  feelings  gave  way. 

One  night  a  colored  woman,  who  was  a  model  of  neatness 
and  unobtrusiveness,  arose  and  testified  to  having  found  sal- 
vation. Mr.  Redfield,  noticing  that  some  received  her  testi- 
mony with  disdain,  made  his  way  through  the  crowd  until  he 
reached  her,  and  taking  her  by  the  hand,  began  to  sing  an 
inspiring  salvation  song.  The  colored  sister  became  very 
happy,  and  jumped  and  shouted  aloud.  The  Spirit  of  God 
very  evidently  endorsed  the  action  of  Mr.  Redfield,  for  the 
power  of  God  came  upon  the  people  in  a  remarkable  man- 
ner. One  family  refused  afterward  to  kneel  at  the  altar  with 
such  trash,  but  a  score  of  families  from  among  the  poor  came 
and  found  salvation. 

The  following  letter,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Kendall, 
written  at  this  time,  will  give  something  of  an  idea  of  the 
work  and  the -circumstances: 

"ALBION,  February  3,  1855. 

"Dear  Brother  P : — I  was  glad  to  hear  from  you  and 

of  your  prosperity  in  the  narrow  way.  I  rejoice  with  Brother 
Tinkham  and  the  pilgrims  in  Taylorville,  that  salvation  de- 
scends there. 

* 

"That  man  of  God,  Dr.  Redfield,  is  with  us.  We  have 
hard  battles.  The  Doctor  came  a  little  more  than  a  week 
since.  His  shots  are  finding  a  lodgment  in  the  hearts  of  the 
King's  enemies.  He  says  that  'many  here  are  stuck  down  in 
the  slough  of  /  -won't?  Our  official  members  are  great 
hinderances.  Entire  holiness  is  gloriously  prevailing ;  young 


260  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

converts  and  little  ones  are  pressing  into  the  possession  of  it, 
ami  their  influence  is  being  felt. 

"We  have  good  congregations — very  attentive.  Brother 
Rcdfield  is  much  thought  of,  and  I  have  no  doubt  will  be 
the  means  of  great  good.  *  *  * 

"The  pilgrims  are  having  a  fight  of  afflictions  in  this 
region,  such  as  they  never  saw.  You  may  know  something 
of  it  when  I  say  that  I  have  received  five  letters  of  remon- 
strance lately;  i.  c.,  before  Brother  Redfield  came.  They 
have  called  us  'stumbling  blocks,'  and  frequently  'fanatics.' 
They  have  said:  'the  devil  was  speaking,  through  me;  that 
my  course  was  'unhallowed,'  'unchristian,'  'self-sufficient,' 
'impudent,'  etc.  One  local  preacher  has  said  about  tov  n,  of 
Dr.  Redfield,  'That  old  fanatic!  he  don't  know  anything 
about  preaching!'  But  glory  to  God!  he  'rules  the  whirl- 
wind and  dirocts  the  storm.'  It  is  breaking;  and  at  the  same 
time  we  hear  talk  that  the  trustees  are  going  to  close  the 
house  against  us.  We  have  no  fears.  It  is  one  of  the  devil's 
scarecrows.  Such  times  were  never  before  in  Albion.  I 
wish  you  were  here.  *  *  * 

"Our  house  was  crammed  Sunday  night  from  top  to  bot- 
tom; but  salvation  came.  Last  night,  also.  Two  lost  their 
strength — a  thing  never  known  in  Albion  until  this  winter. 
The  people  are  filled  with  wonder  and  dismay.  Officials, 
thus  far  for  the  devil,  begin  to  cower.  There  is  great  clanger 
that  Jesus  will  become  popular.  Dr.  Redfield  says  it  will 
take  the  devil  six  months  to  repair  the  damage  done  to  his 
kingdom  already.  'My  voice  is  still  for  war,'  is  his  watch- 
word. We  look  for  a  mighty  shaking.  Glory  to  God  for 
salvation!  • 

"Your  pilgrim  brother, 

"W.  C.  KENDALL." 

From  the  following  letter  it  would  seem  that  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  having  more  calls  than  he  could  fill.  The  letter 


A  GLIMPSE  OF  His  INNER  LIFE.  261 

gives,  us  a  glimpse  of  his  inner  life,  of  his   deep  concern  for 
the  Kingdom  of  God. 

"ALBION,  January  31,  1855. 

"Dear  Brother  Hicks: — Your  letter  was  received  yester- 
day and  my  heart  was  deeply  pained  for  the  pilgrims  at 
Syracuse.  If  I  could  cut  off  and  send  my  feet  one  way,  and 
my  arms  another,  and  then  the  stumps  of  this  old  body  an- 
other, I  would  do  it.  I  want  to  go  twenty  ways  at  once, 
and  would,  if  possible.  My  spirit  feels  oppressed  and  bowed 
down  by  one  little  body,  and  it  seems  sometimes  more  than  I 
have  patience  to  bear.  I  see  so  much  to  be  done,  so  little  to 
do  it,  and  so  few  that  dare  do  the  right  thing  for  God,  I  feel 
distressed  and  ask,  O  God,  must  all  this  work  be  left  un- 
done? I  cannot  bear  the  thought,  and  yet  what  can  I  do? 
My  spirit  struggles  and  gasps  to  be  free,  and  go  free  all  over 
the  world,  like  the  lightning  on  telegraph  wires.  But  I 
cannot.  What  shall  I  do?  Only  snail  it  through  the  world? 
But  I  must  have  grace  to  bear  it. 

"I  cannot  leave  here  for  a  few  days  yet.  God  is  coming, 
and  promises  to  come  in  more  awful  power. 

"My  love  to  all  the  pilgrims. 

"Yours  forever, 

«J.  W.  REDFIELD." 
19 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

AT  THE  close  of  his  labors  in  Albion,  Mr.  Redfield  went 
directly  to  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  for  the  last  protracted  meeting 
of  the  season.  Here  he  found  a  pastor  with  a  clear  head,  a 
pious  heart,  and  unflinching  integrity.  But  the  meeting  had 
scarcely  commenced  before  he  felt  one  of  his  old  burdens 
coming  on.  At  first,  as  usual,  he  misread  the  feeling,  and 
concluded  it  was  preparatory  to  an  attack  of  apoplexy.  He 
attempted  to  leave  the  meeting,  but  failed.  He  then  turned 
to  his  medicine  case,  and  took  a  remedy  he  thought  would 
relieve  him;  but  with  no  good  effect.  He  then  began  to  see 
that  it  was  a  "burden," — the  spirit  of  prayer.  His  agony 
for  souls  became  very  great.  The  sensation  was  as  if  a 
mighty  hand  took  hold  upon  his  brain,  drew  it  up,  and  then 
thrust  it  back  with  a  painful  shock.  This  occurred  several 
times.  Every  time  he  would  cry  out,  "I  will  hold  on  until 
salvation  comes."  When  suddenly  he  was  relieved,  and  the 
power  of  God  fell  upon  the  people  in  a  wonderful  manner. 

A  Baptist  deacon  arose  from  the  altar,  and  went  reeling 
and  tottering  about,  his  face  all  radiant  with  the  joy  that 
filled  his  soul,  and  professed  to  have  experienced  the  great 
blessing  of  perfect  love.  This  was  a  surprise  to  his  people, 
for  they  thought  him  eminent  for  piety,  and  in  their  opposition 
to  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  they  had  been  known  to  say:  "But 

there  is  Deacon  O ,  and  he  never  says  anything  about 

holiness."  But,  now,  after  the  deacon  had  professed  to  have 
experienced  it,  they  said:  "Well,  we  have  always  been  a  little 
suspicious  of  him." 

So  great  was  the  ingathering  of  souls  during  this  meeting 
that  it  was  necessary  to  build  a  new  church  to  accommodate 
them. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  incidents  of  the  work: 

A  lady  member  of  one  of  the  city  churches  came  and 
was  convinced  that  she  was  without  the  saving  grace  of  God. 

(282) 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  WORK.  263 

This  brought  her  into  great  distress  of  mind.  Her  mother 
came  to  Mr.  R^dfield  and  made  a  statement  of  the  case.  She 
said:  "My  daughter  is  in  despair.  She  has  been  a  member 

of  the church  for  ten  years.  Her  minister  has  been  to 

see  her,  and  has  tried  to  persuade  her  not  to  give  up  her  hope. 
But  she  told  him  that  she  had  been  deceived  for  ten  years,  and 
had  just  found  it  out.  She  then  requested  him  to  let  her 
alone,  and  not  to  decei^*e  her  again.  The  deacons  of  the 
church  came  to  see  her,  also,  but  she  tells  them  the  same 
story,  and  refuses  to  be  comforted.  Now,  what  shall  I  do? 
Shall  I  try  to  comfort  her?" 

"No,  madam,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "by  no  means;  unless 
you  desire  to  deceive  her  again.  When  she  yields  up  her 
will  to  God  she  probably  will  find  relief." 

"But  I  fear  she'll  become  deranged,"  replied  the  mother. 

"Better  be  deranged  and  die  so,  in  trying  to  be  honest 
and  to  get  right,  than  to  go  on  as  a  deceived  person,  and  die 
in  that  condition."  - 

"But  she  has  eaten  nothing  for  three  days." 

"Well,  some  spirits  have  to  be  starved  out." 

"Well,  what  shall  I  do?" 

"You  can  pray  for  her;  deal  faithfully  with  her  in  press- 
ing her  to  yield  to  God.  But  for  her  soul's  sake,  don't  speak 
peace;  let  God  do  that." 

About  12  o'clock  the  next  night  God  spoke  peace  to  her 
soul.  Mr.  Redfield  was  greatly  encouraged  when  she  re- 
lated her  experience  the  next  afternoon.  She  told  the  con- 
gregation, that  at  first  she  was  very  angry  at  Mr.  Redfield 
for  disturbing  her  peace  of  mind,  and  then  with  a  radiant 
face,  she  exclaimed,  "But,  oh,  how  glad  I  am  that  he  dealt 
faithfully  with  me";  and  turning  toward  him,  said,  "Do  let 
me  exhort  you  to  be  faithful  wherever  you  go." 

For  a  day  or  two  during  the  meeting,  Mr.  Redfield  had 
missed  a  brother  who  had  taken  a  very  strong  stand  for  holi- 
ness, when  one  day  he  and  his  wife  called.  He  seemed  in 


264  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

great  distress  of  mind.  He  said:  "When  I  went  from  meet- 
ing a  few  days  ago,  I  was  fully  determined  to  follow  the 
leadings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  When  I  got  home  the  Spirit 
said,  "Lie  down  on  the  floor  and  prophesy  that  you  will  now 
die." 

"But  you  did  not  die?"  interrupted  Mr.  Redfield. 

"Oh,  no!"  said  he;  "then  the  Spirit  told  me  to  prophesy 
that  the  man  in  the  house  opposite  Avould  die  before  morn- 

inp-  " 

"'&» 

"Did  he  die?" 

"No!  Then  the  Spirit  told  me  to  go  into  the  streets  and 
sing,  'Pink  and  senna';  and  to  go  singing  it  into  the  drug 
store,  and  call  for  a  large  amount  of  it.  Then  I  was  to  make 
a  decoction  of  it,  and  give  it  to  my  children,  to  guard  them 
against  sickness.  I  did  so,  all  but  giving  it  to  the  children. 
Next  the  Spirit  told  me  that  as  I  had  once  loved  a  lady  be- 
fore I  married  my  present  wife,  that,  therefore,  I  was  guilty 
of  adultery  with  her;  and  I  must  go  and  confess  it  to  her. 
But  I  knew  I  was  innocent  of  such  a  crime.  The  Spirit 
then  told  me  I  must  now  part  with  my  wife.  Now  what 
shall  I  do?" 

"Were  you  all  this  time  led  by  this  spirit?" 

"Oh,  no!" 

"Let  me  ask  you  further,  when  this  spirit  was  upon  you, 
did  you  not  feel  wretched?" 

"I  did!  and  it  seemed  I  would  die,  my  agony  of  mind 
was  so  great." 

"Well, brother,  when  any  such  influence  comes  upon  you, 
no  matter  how  like  conviction  of  duty  it  may  appear,  if  it 
brings  distress  of  mind  instead  of  filling  you  with  love  and 
peace,  resist  it  as  you  would  the  devil,  for  it  is  the  devil. 
God's  Spirit  never  distresses  one  except  those  burdened  with 
guilt.  He  leads  by  light,  and  love,  and  peace." 

In  connection  with  this  incident  Mr.  Redfield  penned 
these  thoughts  upon  the  subject : 


VISITS  His  CHILDHOOD  HOME.  265 

"I  have  occasionally  met  with  similar  cases.  To  my 
sorrow  I  have  known  some  of  the  best  of  people  to  get 
frightened,  and  thinking  insanity  was  being  caused  by  the 
meetings,  have  insisted  upon  their  being  closed.  I  saw,  I 
thought,  that  in  following  the  track  of  Jesus,  we  must  pass 
these  temptations  also;  and  if  the  church  did  not  have  the 
discernment  to  distinguish  between  temptation  and  insanity, 
we  would  be  liable  to  do  irreparable  injury  to  the  work  of 
Christ." 

From  Bridgeport  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  the  scenes  of  his 
childhood.  There  he  attempted  to  do  his  duty  in  the  fear 
of  God.  He  preached  the  same  gospel  that  he  had  heard 
in  the  same  pulpit  from  the  lips  of  Wilbur  Fisk,  A.  D. 
Merrill  and  John  Lindsay,  all  of  precious  memory.  God 
responded  to  his  truth  with  power,  but  in  the  midst  of  it, 
the  unspiritual  pastor  arrested  the  work  by  bringing  the 
meetings  to  a  close.  Full  of  sadness,  Mr.  Redfield  visited 
the  graves  of  his  mother  and  other  saints  who,  in  former 
days,  had  worshiped  God  in  the  church  near  by.  Here  he 
wept  over  the  desolations  of  Zion,  and  consecrated  himself 
anew  to  the  work  of  spreading  holiness  over  the  land. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

IN  November,  1852,  Mr.  Reclficld  was  invited  to  Henri- 
etta, Monroe  county,  N.  Y.  The  preacher  was  J.  K.  Tink- 
ham,  known  for  many  years  through  Western  New  York 
for  his  powerful  singing,  and  who  passed  to  his  reward  in 
1885.  On  his  way  to  Henrietta,  Mr.  Redfield  called  on  the 
presiding  elder,  who  asked  him  where  he  was  going. 

"To  Henrietta,  to  assist  Brother  Tinkham,"  Mr.  Redfield 
replied. 

"Well,  I  am  glad  you  are  going  there,  for  there  you  can 
do  no  hurt,"  was  the  elder's  reply. 

But  Mr.  Redfield  was  becoming  somewhat  accustomed 
to  such  thrusts.  On  his  arrival  at  Henrietta  he  found,  truly, 
there  was  no  danger  of  making  matters  worse.  A  once  flour- 
ishing society  was  now  reduced  to  eighteen  members,  and 
these  were  cold  and  formal. 

Mr.  Tinkham  proved  to  be  a  pleasant  pastor  to  labor 
with.  He  feared  not  the  truth  nor  its  effects.  In  a  few  days 
came  the  tug  of  war.  Men  saw  they  must  resist  strongly  or 
yield;  indifferent  they  could  not  be.  The  Holy  Spirit 
pressed  home  the  truth  until  men  began  to  confess  their  de- 
linquencies. One  night,  an  official  member  of  the  church 
confessed  that  although  he  had  tried  to  keep  up  the  forms  of 
religion,  yet  he  had  been  unsaved.  His  two  boys  who  had 
grown  up  infidels  were  present  in  the  congregation.  He 
went  to  one  of  them  and  asked  his  forgiveness  for  living  be- 
fore him  as  he  had.  The  young  man  was  much  mortified, 
and  tried  to  quiet  him.  The  father  then  went  to  the  other, 
and  confessed  and  asked  his  forgiveness;  and  with  the  same 
result.  He  then  returned  to  the  altar,  and  falling  on  his 
knees,  cried  out  in  agony  for  their  salvation.  There  was  no 
appearance  of  the  answer  before  the  meeting  closed.  But 
during  the  night  the  oldest  son  arose  from  his  bed,  came 


AT  HENRIETTA,  N.  Y.  267 

down  the  stairs  into  his  parents'  room,  and  begged  of  them 
to  rise  and  pray  for  him.  They  did  so,  and  soon  he  began 
to  pray  for  his  brother.  The  father  went  to  look  for  him, 
and  found  him  on  his  knees  crying  for  mercy.  He  was 
brought  down  stairs,  and  their  prayers  continued  until  nearly 
morning,  and  both  were  gloriously  converted.  They  came 
to  the  afternoon  meeting  the  next  day,  with  shining  faces, 
ready  to  work  for  God.  Such  was  the  earnestness  with 
which  they  went  at  it,  that  in  some  instances  sinners  left  the 
house  to  get  away  from  them.  One  of  these  fell  outside  the 
door,  and  another  sprang  over  the  fence  near  by,  and  fell 
there.  They  cried  for  mercy,  were  converted,  and  returned 
to  the  house  before  the  close  of  the  seivice  to  testify  of  what 
Jesus  had  done  for  them. 

The  work  now  went  on  in  great  power,  and  awoke  the 
opposition  of  the  minister  in  another  church.  He  tried  first 
to  proselyte  the  converts,  but  this  failed,  because  of  the  thor- 
oughness of  their  conversion.  He  then  began  to  cry  out 
against  the  work.  Mr.  Redfield  now  felt  it  his  duty  to  speak 
plainly  against  a  type  of  religion  that  would  allow  its  pos- 
sessors so  to  do.  The  opposition  of  the  minister  ceased  and 
soon  he  was  also  saved,  so  that  he  would  get  happy  in  his 
pulpit,  and  shout,  declaring  he  now  knew  what  made  the 
Methodists  happy. 

The  man  who  had  the  charge  of  the  church  in  which  this 
revival  was  held,  has  told  the  writer  within  a  few  years,  that 
such  was  his  own  indifference  to  religious  things,  under  the 
wretched  influence  of  the  church,  that  for  some  time  after 
this  revival  commenced,  he  would  light  the  house  and  return 
to  his  home  and  wait  for  the  congregation  to  disperse,  and 
then  go  and  close  the  house  for  the  night.  But  he  heard  so 
much  about  the  manner  of  Mr.  Redfield  and  the  truths  he 
preached,  and  his  unsparing  denunciations  of  sin,  that  he  ven- 
tured to  hear  him  one  night,  for  himself. 

He  says,  "I  thought  I  never  heard  it  on  this  wise  before. 


268  LIFE  OP  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

At  first  I  rather  enjoyed  seeing  others  get  it,  but  at  last  the 
lash  came  to  my  own  back.  Conviction  set  in,  and  soon  I 
was  at  the  altar  fairly  howling  for  mercy." 

Some  of  those  who  were  saved  in  this  revival  are  still  liv- 
ing, and  are  illustrations  of  the  thoroughness  of  the  work 
that  was  there  done. 

Mr.  Purdy  was  present  part  of  the  time,  and  assisted  in 
this  meeting,  with  his  usual  liberty  and  power. 

While  laboring  at  this  place,  Mr.  Redfield  wrote  the 
following  interesting  letter  to  Brother  Hicks,  of  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.: 

"Henrietta,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  11,  1852. 

"Dear  Brother  Hicks  &  Co. 

"'Some  time  has  passed  away 
Since  I  began  to  pray, 
I  love  the  Lord  to-day; 

Bless  his  name;  bless  his  name.' 

"Brother  P as  usual  ran  away  soon  after  my  arrival. 

Oh,  what  a  pity  that  such  talents  cannot  be  controlled  and  kept 
at  work.  But  it  cannot  be  helped.  I  suppose  we  ought  to 
be  more  thankful  for  as  much  as  we  can  get  out  of  him, 
rather  than  to  mourn  because  we  can  have  no  more.  I  will 
not  yet  abandon  all  hope  that  he  will  see  his  error. 

"Brother  Woodruff  is  here.  He  is  a  man  of  God,  and  full 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Brother  Tinkham  and  he  are  shoulder 
to  shoulder  pressing  the  battle,  and  resolved  to  have  the 
victory.  You  may  well  judge  that  it  will  take  a  large  degree 
of  redemption  power  to  raise  from  the  dead  the  church  in 
this  place.  But  it  begins  to  move  some.  About  twenty 
have  been  converted,  which  in  my  judgment  is  equal  to  one 
hundred  in  Syracuse. 

"Brother  W and  myself  go  next  Saturday,  or  the 

following  Tuesday,  to  Painted  Post,  where  we  hope  Zenas, 
the  lawyer,  will  meet  or  follow  us,  and  not  run  again,  leaving 


LETTER  TO  MR.  HICKS.  269 

us  right  in  the  cramps.  From  that  place  we  expect  to  go  to 
Buffalo. 

"Brother  P —  -  has  not  yet  decided  about  getting  the 
tent  and  going  to  Syracuse.'  Yet  he  seems  full  of  faith  that 
that  is  a  move,  which  if  carried  .out,  promises  much  good  to 
the  old  line.  I  think  if  such  an  arrangement  could  be 
entered  into,  and  sanctioned  and  sustained  by  men  of  the 
right  stamp,  that  there  are  many  ministers  who  would  will- 
ingly join  the  flying  artillery,  and  that  great  and  glorious 
results  would  follow.  I  wish  that  Dr.  Bowen,  or  some  one 
of  his  standing,  would  form  a  plan  and  lay  it  before  one  of 
our  bishops  for  approval,  and  then  I  think  that  H —  —  Matti- 
son  would  find  his  guns  spiked  before  he  could  do  much 
damage.  If  the  plan  works,  as  I  have  no  doubt  it  will,  I 
think  that  at  the  next  conference  there  will  go  out  such  a 
voice  froni  that  body  as  will  make  our  way  easy,  and  plain, 
and  successful. 

"  Could  you  not  draft  a  plan  and  send  it  to  Dr.  Bowen, 
and  get  him  to  enlist  others  whose  influence  will  at  once 
protect  and  give  character  to  the  movement?  It  seems  to 
me  that  such  is  the  condition  of  the  churches,  that  some 
unusual  effort  must  be  made  to  check  the  progress  of  ap- 
proaching ruin,  and  exlencl  the  borders  of  Zion  to  fields  as 
yet  unoccupied. 

"How  are  you  all  getting  along?  Are  you  at  anchor? 
or  drifting  down  stream?  or  rowing  up?  Don't  get  dis- 
couraged; God  will  yet  give  you  victory;  for  if  you  cannot 
carry  the  opposition  and  turn  them  to  the  Lord,  you  can  use 
them  as  polishing  brushes  to  make  you  shine  the  brighter.  I 
tell  you  heaven  is  in  view. 

"I  desire  you  would  remember  me  to  Sisters  A and 

A ,  Brothers  B and  G ,  and  all  the  disciples  of 

Jesus.  O  Brother  Hicks,  encourage  them  to  hold  on  and  to 
fight  manfully.  I  much  desire  to  see  you  all,  but  at  present 
I  cannot  see  it  possible. 


270  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"Brother  Hicks,  would  you  like  to  take  a  little  stock  in 
heaven's  savings  bank?  I  will  tell  you  how.  You  pilgrims 
just  spend  a  little  time  every  day  in  secret  prayer  that  God 
may  be  with  us  who  are  laboring  for  souls  at  Henrietta, 
Painted  Post,  and  Buffalo. 

"I  would  like  to  select  my  homestead  near  yours  on 
heaven's  public  lands.  If  you  assist  me  by  your  prayers 
we  shall  doubtless  settle  in  the  same  neighborhood  on  the 
prairies  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Hallelujah!  Amen! 

«J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

From  Henrietta,  at  the  request  of  a  presiding  elder,  Mr. 
Redfield  went  to  another  place,  where  matters  were  in  an 
equally  bad  state,  though  there  were  more  members  in  the 
church.  On  his  arr'iYal,  he  found  he  must  commence  in 
the  presiding  elder's  family,  and  he  sternly  rebuked  the 
wife  and  some  others  for  their  bad  example  in  wearing  jew- 
elry. They  were  much  offended,  of  course.  He  found  that 
the  preacher  in  charge  had  no  religious  influence,  because  of 
his  trifling  manner  among  the  people.  But  there  was  an  old 
minister,  who  was  without  an  appointment,  but  who  had  been 
on  the  straight  track  for  thirty  years,  and  who  saw  matters 
in  the  same  light  in  which  Mr.  Redfield  saw  them.  This 
was  to  him  a  source  of  great  comfort  and  encouragement. 
He  had  often  known  ministers,  in  the  heat  of  successful 
revivals,  to  take  a  stand  for  the  right,  but  when  they  arrived 
at  conference,  and  saw  it  did  not  meet  with  the  approval 
of  those  in  power,  to  look  at  their  families,  and  almost  empty 
pocket-books,  and  then  draw  back.  But  here  was  a  man 
who  had  stood;  who  had  dared  to  do  his  duty,  to  follow  the 
truth,  and  risk  the  consequences. 

The  work  had  scarce  begun  before  it  became  apparent 
that  there  were  serious  things  in  the  way.  Mr.  Redfield 
consecrated  himself  anew  to  do  faithful  work.  He  said  to 
himself,  "1  will  only  stop  when  I  must.  By  the  grace  of 


INDIGNANT  LOCAL  PREACHERS.  271 

God  I  will  not  swerve  from  the  right.  If  I  go  down  with 
the  truth,  I  know  Jesus  will  go  down  with  me;  and  he  will 
have  a  resurrection.  I  will  be  as  honest  with  the  people  as 
though  I  was  gc^ing  immediately  to  the  judgment.  I  know 
I  am  already  in  bad  odor  with  the  worldly  and  pleasure- 
seeking,  in  the  church,  and,  probably,  faithful  work  here  will 
not  improve  my  reputation:  but  I  will  leave  all  that  to  be 
adjusted  at  the  judgment." 

He  saw  that  representatives  of  Jesus  must  do  something 
to  restore  themselves  to  the  confidence  of  those  outside  the 
church.  He  urged  the  membership  to  make  clean  and  thor- 
ough work  in  confessing  their  true  moral  state,  so  that  the 
world  would  have  the  true  standard  of  religion. 

When  he  had  finished  a  sermon  on  this  subject,  an  old 
local  preacher  arose  and  said,  "This  Redfield  has  insulted  us. 
This  church  will  never  disgrace  itself  by  making  any  such 
confessions  as  he  urges.  He  need  not  come  here  to  accuse  us 
of  having  no  religion.  I  know  I've  got  religion;  and,  Oh! 
brethren,  what  a  glorious  time  it  will  be  when  we  all  get  up 
there." 

"If  you  ever  get  there,"  suggested  Mr.  Redfield. 

Next  a  son  of  this  old  man  arose,  who  was  also  a  local 
preacher,  and  with  great  vehemence  denounced  Mr.  Red- 
field.  The  meeting  closed,  and  one  of  the  equally  dead  mem- 
bers of  the  church  approached  the  old  local  preacher,  and 
said,  "I  know  the  reason  why  you  are  so  bitter  upon  the 
preacher  because  of  this  confessing  business.  You  know  you 
are  guilty  of  crimes  that  would  make  a  decent  man  blush." 
Not  knowing  that  his  life  was  so  well  known,  the  old  man 
tried  to  deny  it,  and  asked  for  the  proof.  The  other  called 
up  a  man  who  was  present,  and  asked  him,  '  Don't  you  know 
that  this  man  is  guilty  of ?"  naming  the  crime. 

"Yes,  sir,  I  do,"  said  the  witness.  And  then  another,  and 
another,  was  called  on  to  testify,  who  witnessed  to  the  same. 
The  old  man  left  the  house  not  to  return  again. 


272  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Mr.  Rcdfield  then  took  an  expression  of  the  congrega- 
tion, sinners  and  all,  whether  the  truth  that  will  do  to  die  by 
was  what  they  wanted.  A  large  number,  by  the  uplifted 
hand,  declared  in  the  affirmative. 

The  next  night  Mr.  Red  field  plainly  saw  that  they  had 
come  to  a  point  where  somebody  must  act;  and  said:  "I 
have  gone  to  my  utmost  extent  in  preaching  the  word  of 
God  to  you,  and  it  all  fails.  I  will  now  try  one  more  thing; 
not  to  appeal  to  your  conscience,  for  you  have  none.  Bible 
truth  seems  to  have  nothing  sacred  in  your  esteem.  You 
may  possibly  have  some  sense  of  honor;  I  will  appeal  to 
that.  Now,  when  you  joined  the  church  you  either  did,  or 
did  not,  know  its  rules.  If  you  did  not,  here  they  are  [hold- 
ing out  a  copy  of  the  Discipline],  They  forbid  doing  harm, 
and  command  to  do  good.  They  forbid  conformity  to  the 
world.  Yet,  in -all  that  you  are  deficient.  Now,  make  up 
your  mind;  can  you,  will  you,  conform  to  these  rules?  If 
not,  then  do  have  the  honor  to  go  to  your  preacher  and  tell 
that  you  can't  live  up  to  the  rules  and  ask  him  to  drop  your 
name." 

Afterward  Mr.  Redfield  learned  that  one  of  the  principal 
members  did  so,  and  then  said,  "There,  I  have  withdrawn 
from  the  church,  for  I  am  resolved  to  live  and  die  an  honest 
man."  He  also  said  to  Mr.  Redfield:  "I  have  been  kept  in 
the  church  because  I  was  reputed  to  be  wealthy,  and  that,  too, 
when  it  was  known  that  I  would  swear." 

But  to  return ;  this  looked  severe  to  many,  but  the  sequel 
showed  that  God  was  in  it.  This  course  raised  a  tempest. 
Immediately  one  of  the  leading  members  arose  and  said, 
"We  have  borne  this  abuse  long  enough." 

Mr.  Redfield  asked,  "Will  you  show  me  what  I  have 
preached  that  is  not  truth  ?" 

"We  believe  it  is  truth,"  he  answered,  "but  we  won't 
stand  it." 

The  service  broke  up  in  a  tumult.     A  large  number  came 


A  GLORIOUS  VICTORY.  273 

around  Mr.  Rcdfielcl  and  vehemently  accused  him  of  causing 
the  disorder, — five  to  ten  speaking  at  once  until  he  could  not 
be  heard.  He  went  to  his  stopping  place,  at  the  presiding 
elder's,  and  fell  upon  his  face  before  the  Lord.  He  cried 
out,  "  O  Lord,  thou  knowest  I  have  not  swerved  from  the 
right.  I  have  gone  as  far  as  I  can.  I  must  now  stop.  I 
give  the  matter  into  thy  hands."  He  then  retired  to  rest 
with  the  rich  consciousness  of  the  divine  approval.  Soon 
the  word  came  that  two  of  the  most  faithful  men  in  the 
society  had  fallen  to  the  floor  in  the  church,  both  burdened 
for  the  membership,  and  especially  for  the  man  who  had 
talked  so  to  Mr.  Red  field.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  was  awakened  by  a  rap  at  his  door,  and  was  informed 
that  the  wife  of  the  pastor  was  almost  in  despair,  and 
desired  him  to  pray  for  her.  She  had  also  requested  them 

to   bring    Brother  F ,    one    of    the   brethren    who    was 

prostrate  in  the  church,  and  he  had  been  brought  to  her 
house,  but  he  was  perfectly  stiff,  arid  had  to  be  carried. 
When  Mr.  Redfield  arrived,  the  pastor's  wife  confessed  that 
she  had  slyly  counseled  the  sisters  of  the  church  to  keep  on 
their  jewelry.  She  was  now  in  great  distress.  They  had  not 
prayed  long,  when  a  messenger  came  and  said,  "Several  mem- 
bers of  the  church  are  in  a  house  near  here,  and  they  desire, 
all  who  can,  to  come  and  pray  with  them.  And  they 

especially  desire  Brother  F— shall  come."     Several  men 

picked  him  up  and  carried  him  there.  After  a  little,  a  mes- 
senger came  there  with  the  word  that  a  number  of  sinners 
were  congregated  in  a  house  near  by,  and  desired  Christians 
to  come  and  pray  with  them.  Before  daylight  it  became 
evident  that  the  whole  place  was  under  awakening ;  and  the 
result  was  a  glorious  ingathering  of  souls. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

FROM  the  scene  of  the  labors  described  in  the  last 
chapter,  Mr.  Red  field  went  to  a  place  only  a  few  miles 
distant.  The  preacher  in  charge  was  present  the  first 
Sunday  morning.  He  said  to  Mr.  Red  field, "  We  are  ex- 
pecting you  to  begin  to-day.  Now,  do  you  object  to  a 
mclodcon  in  the  gallery?  If  you  do,  we  won't  have  it  used." 

"Don't  let  it  sound  a  note,"  replied  Mr.  Redfield. 

"What  about  the  choir?"  asked  the  pastor. 

"Bring  it  down  to  the  front  seats,  and  let  the  whole  con- 
gregation sing,  in  Methodist  style,"  was  the  reply. 

Again,  he  began  at  the  foundation.  Holiness,  inward 
and  outward,  was  urged  upon  the  people.  When  the  truth 
was  beginning  to  take  a  deep  hold  upon  the  congregation,  he 
was  waited  on  by  a  committee  one  day,  who  announced  their 
business  as  follows: 

"Brother,  are  you  willing  to  be  faithfully  dealt  with,  and, 
if  possible,  to  remove  all  hinderances  that  are  in  the  way  of 
a  revival?" 

"Most  certainly  I  am,"  he  replied. 

"Well,  we  have  heard  some  reports  in  regard  to  you 
which  are  greatly  in  the  way  of  the  cause  of  God." 

"What  are  they?"  he  inquired. 

"We  have  heard  that  you  are  worth  three  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars;  that  you  own  a  most  splendid  mansion  in  New 
York;  that  it  is  furnished  and  decorated  from  top  to  bottom 
in  the  most  costly  manner;  that  your  servants  dress  in  livery; 
that  you  carry  a  costly  gold  watch,  and  that  you  come  out 
here  and  pounce  upon  us  for  our  paltry  two  and  six-penny 
gold  rings;  and  we  think  this  ought  to  be  corrected." 

Said  he,  "I  don't  hold  myself  responsible  for  all  the  lies 
told  about  me,  nor  feel  that  I  am  required  to  correct  every- 
thing that  is  circulated  about  me.  If  I  did,  I  would  have  my 

(274) 


REPORTS  OF  His  GREAT  WEALTH.  275 

hands  full,  and  no  time  to  work  for  God."  Pulling  out  his 
plain  silver  watch,  he  continued,  "That  is  all  the  watch  I 
have.  About  the  mansion:  the  report  is  true,  except  they 
have  located  it  in  the  wrong  place.  As  to  the  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  I  would  not  sell  it  for  that  sum.  Indeed,  I 
do  not  think  I  should  be  blamed  for  its  possession,  for  it  was 
willed  to  me  by  my  elder  brother,  when  he  died.  As  to  my 
describing  it  to  please  the  fastidious,  I  shall  not  do  it.  This 
much  I  will  say,  it  is  fenced  round  with  walls  made  of  dia- 
monds, amethysts,  and  other  precious  stones,  and  the  walks 
are  paved  with  gold.  You  may  judge  what  the  mansion 
must  be."  „, 

The  committee  bowed  themselves  out,  and  he  heard  no 
more  of  the  matter. 

The  revival  was  deep  and  extensive.  It  was  estimated 
that  nearly  five  hundred  were  converted.  Some  of  the  con- 
verts became  remarkable  for  their  piety,  their  activity,  and 
their  success  as  workers  for  Jesus. 

One  young  girl,  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  came  to  the 
altar  one  evening,  and,  turning  to  the  congregation,  said : 
"Farewell  to  you  all;  I  am  going  to  seek  religion;  and  I  will 
have  it."  Dropping  upon  her  knees,  she  prayed  most  deter- 
minedly for  salvation.  She  soon  arose,  and  clapping  her 
hands,  gave  glory  to  God.  Then,  turning  to  a  faithful  old 
preacher,  and  calling  him  by  name,  she  said:  "O  brother, 
this  is  good.  Oh,  how  I  wish  Jane  had  it";  and  running  to 
her  sister  Jane,  she  brought  her  to  the  altar.  "Now,"  said 
she,  "I  want  Mary";  and  she  went  and  brought  her.  "Now 
I  must  have  Susan,"  but  Susan  ran  out  of  the  house.  She 
then  went  for  another,  but  that  one  refused ;  and  the  young 
convert  fell  upon  her  knees  for  a  moment,  and  then  led  this 
one  to  the  altar  also.  This  girl  had  not  been  converted  more 
then  ten  minutes,  before  she  began  to  work  for  others,  and 
in  less  than  an  hour  she  had  led  eleven  persons  to  the  altar; 
a  work  far  beyond  that  of  many  in  the  church  in  a  life-time. 


276  LIFE  OR  JOHN  VV.  RKDPIKLD. 

G<xl  seemed  to  have,  on  this  night,  complete  possession 
of  the  place.  One  sister  arose  and  said,  "Oh,  what  shall  we 
do  for  some  one  to  lead  us  on  when  Brother  Red  field  is 
gone?"  And  turning  to  the  preacher  in  charge  said:  "O 
brother,  you  must  get  the  blessing  of  holiness,  so  you  can 
lead  us  on." 

The  preacher  arose,  and  instead  of  being  offended,  said, 
"I  will  have  it;  and  I  desire  you  all  to  pray  for  me,"  He 
did  get  it,  and  afterwards  said  to  Mr.  Redfield,  "I  had  it 
once  before,  and  I  preached  it;  and  I  had  just  such  revivals 
as  this.  But  I  saw  how  some  in  the  conference  treated 
Brother  Purdy,  who  is  with  you,  and  I  was  afraid  I  should 
get  into  bad  repute  among  my  brethren,  as  he  has, — so  I 
lowered  the  standard,  and  lost  the  power  out  of  my  soul; 
and  I  have  been  thinking  about  locating.  But  now  I  shall 
take  my  old  track,  and  risk  the  consequences." 

But,  like  many  others,  he  afterwards  failed  to  keep  his 
promise.  The  next  year  the  conference  sent  a  minister  to 
the  place  who  was  opposed  to  preaching  and  teaching  holi- 
ness. This  caused  Mr.  Redfield  much  pain,  but  he  was 
comforted  by  hearing  that  one  of  the  members  had  died  in 
glorious  triumph,  having  kept  her  experience  until  the  end. 

Having  closed  his  labors  in  this  place,  Mr.  Redfield  next 
went  to  labor  in  Bath,  Steuben  county,  N.  Y.  Here 
he  again  raised  the  standard  of  holiness.  Soon  the  work 
broke  out  in  power.  Here  again  the  devil  undertook  to 
hinder  the  work  by  subjecting  a  woman,  who  experienced 
the  blessing  of  holiness,  to  severe  temptation.  In  her 
earnestness  she  promised  the  Lord  she  would  follow  the 
Spirit  wherever  it  might  lead.  One  afternoon,  the  impres- 
sion came  to  her  to  go  to  the  church  to  the  meeting,  and 
she  arose  and  started.  When  about  half-way  there,  the 
impression  came  to  return  home.  She  did  this;  and  then  it 
came  to  return  again  to  the  church,  and  when  there  to 
kneel  in  the  end  of  the  seat,  so  that  the  people  who  passed 


ONE  OK  SATAN'S  DEVICES.  277 

would  have  to  step  over  her,  and  thus  illustrate  to  them  what 
stumbling  blocks  they  were;  and  she  obeyed  it.  Then  the  im- 
pression came,  "This  church  is  very  proud,  leap  through  the 
aisles  like  a  frog  to  humble  them";  and  she  did  so.  Then 
the  impression  came  to  call  an  old  lady  who  sat  near  her,  a 
hypocrite ;  and  this  she  did.  Then,  following  the  same  leading, 
she  went  after  her  daughter,  who  was  in  the  house,  and  the 
daughter  fled  to  avoid  her.  By  this  time  the  confusion 
became  so  great  that  the  service  was  brought  to  an  end. 
She  went  home,  and  the  impression  came  to  test  her  faith  by 
sifting  between  a  very  hot  stove  and  a  wall  near  by.  While 
at  this,  her  husband,  who  was  a  physician,  came  home,  and 
was  informed  of  all  that  had  occurred.  Very  much 
frightened,  he  ha'stened  to  the  parsonage  to  see  Mr.  Redfield 
and  the  pastor.  He  declared  his  wife  to  be  raving  crazy, 
and  that  the  meetings  must  stop,  both  for  her  good  and  the 
credit  of  Methodism.  But  Mr.  Redfield  thought  he  saw  that 
it  was  another  effort  to  dishonor  the  work ;  that  these 
temptations  sooner  or  later  came  to  every  one  who  was  fully 
determined  to  follow  Jesus.  He  then  said  to  the  doctor, 
"  Don't  you  know  that  the  determining  symptoms  are  not 
insanity?  This  is  only  temptation.  She  will  come  out  of  it 
all  right." 

"Well,  what  shall  I  do?"  said  the  doctor. 

"Be  quiet,  and  pray  for  her.  Let  her  entirely  alone,  and 
she  will  come  out  of  it,  and  tell  you  it  is  all  of  the  devil." 

The  doctor  was  finally  persuaded  to  drop  the  matter,  and 
not  interfere  with  the  meetings.  The  next  morning  she 
came  out  of  it  all  right,  and  the  glory  and  power  of  God 
wonderfully  rested  upon  her.  She  afterwards  said  she  saw 
clearly  that  the  strange  influences  she  experienced  were  all 
of  the  devil. 

But  the  report  went  far  and  near  that  the  woman  went 
crazy.  Those  who  circulated  it  were  careful  not  to  say  she 

was  all  over  it  the  next  day.     This  was  also  charged  to  Mr. 

20  J 


278  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

RcdfielcTs  labors,  and  the  people  were  cautioned   not  to  em- 
ploy him. 

The  work  in  Bath  went  on  in  great  power,  and  soon  a 
jeweler  was  saved,  and  his  conscience  refused  to  let  him  buy 
or  sell  or  mend  jewelry,  and  it  was  reported  that  he  had  gone 
crazy. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

AFTER  closing  his  labors  in  Bath,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to 
the  city  of  Buffalo,  where  he  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
Niagara  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Rev.  Benjamin 
T.  Roberts,  now  senior  General  Superintendent  of  the  Free 
Methodist  Church,  was  the  pastor  of  the  Niagara  Street 
society. 

On  inquiry  of  an  old  minister,  Mr.  Redfield  was  informed 
that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  pastor,  and  that  the 
truth  would  be  given  the  utmost  freedom.  When  he  arrived, 
he  was  informed  by  Mr.  Roberts,  and  also  by  a  leading  man 
in  the  church,  that  Methodism  was  in  a  very  low  state  in  the 
city,  and  that  it  had  been  quite  difficult  to  sustain  prayer 
meetings  in  this  church  for  a  year  or  two. 

In  due  time  the  work  began  to  move.  Soon,  among  oth- 
ers, came  to  the  altar,  a  poor  drunken  local  preacher,  whom 
Mr.  Roberts  had  found  in  the  delirium  tremens  but  a  short 
time  before,  and  God  saved  him.  Then  another  one  came, 
who  had  been  attending  horse  races  in  Canada,  and  he  was 
saved.  One  woman  of  high  standing  made  the  confession 
that  she  had  been  wronging  her  own  sister  out  of  her  portion 
of  their  father's  estate,  and  had  to  restore  it  to  find  peace.  This 
created  great  excitement  and  opposition.  But  the  work  went 
forward  with  power  in  the  reforming,  converting  and  sanctify- 
ing of  souls.  Many  of  the  people  began  to  take  a  strong  stand 

for  Bible  holiness  and  Methodism.  A  sister  B ,  one  of  the 

most  fashionable  members  of  that  church,  and  who  wore  a 
very  large  amount  of  jewelry,  laid  it  all  aside,  and  went 
from  house  to  house  among  her  fashionable  friends  in  the 
church,  and  upon  her  knees  confessed  to  them  the  wrong  she 
had  done  them  in  setting  such  an  example,  and  came  out  into 
the  light  as  a  true  and  steadfast  disciple  of  Jesus. 

In  the  midst  of  this  revival  the  meetings  of  the  General 

(279) 


280  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REOFIKLD. 

Missionary  Society  came  on,  and  one  service  was  appointed 
to  he  held  in  the  Niagara  Street  church.  Mr.  Redfield  called 
on  the  bishop  and  had  a  talk  with  him  in  respect  to  the  de- 
cay of  primitive  Methodism,  and  asked  him  to  say  something 
during  this  gathering  that  would  encourage  the  effort  to 
build  up  the  work.  He  related  to  him  the  cases  of  the  two 
local  preachers,  among  others,  as  illustrations  and  proofs  of 
the  genuineness  of  the  work  in  progress.  But  the  bishop 
turned  upon  him,  and  said,  very  abruptly:  "I  don't  believe  a 
word  of  it." 

Mr.  Redfield  saw  he  must  now  prepare  himself  for 
trouble.  When  the  bishop  preached  he  seemed  to  take 
especial  pains  to  impress  the  congregation  that  he  did  not 

approve  of  Mr.   Redfield's  work.     Dr.   A.  S ,  editor  of 

the  Christian  Advocate,  in  an  address  went  out  of  his  way 
to  declare  that  Christianity  was  not  opposed  to  the  luxuries 
and  elegances  of  life,  and  indulgence  in  them  was  not 
inconsistent  for  Christians. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  sharp  conflict  in  the  Genesee 
Conference  in  Western  New  York,  over  the  question  whether 
the  modern  innovations  upon  Methodism  should  prevail.  Mr. 
Roberts,  Mr.  Kendall,  Eleazar  Thomas,  who  years  after  wards 
was  massacred  by  the  Modocs,  and  quite  a  number  of  others, 
were  standing  for  the  Wesleyan  doctrine  and  experience  of 
holiness,  and  the  simplicity  of  Methodism.  Now  there 
crowded  into  the  Niagara  Street  church  the  leading  opposers 
of  all  this,  and  mingling  among  the  membership,  who  were 
being  graciously  moved  by  the  revival  in  progress,  they  cir- 
culated scandalous  reports  that  had  a  tendency  to  stop  the 

work.     After  they  were  gone,  a  lawyer  V came   into 

one  of  the  afternoon  meetings  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the 
opposition.  He  arose,  and  said,  in  substance,  "We  have  been 
annoyed  and  disgusted  long  enough  with  this  man  Redfield, 
and  now  it  shall  come  to  an  end.  These  meetings  shall  no 
longer  be  endured." 


INTENSE  OPPOSITION.  281 

Mr.  Redfield  was  kept  perfectly  calm  and  sweet  amid 
it  all.  When  the  lawyer  was  through  speaking,  Mr.  Redfield 
asked  him  to  state  what  had  been  preached  that  was  con- 
trary to  the  Bible  and  the  Discipline.  He  sharply  retorted : 
"It's  all  true  enough,  but  we  won't  stand  it  here  anyway." 
Mr.  Redfield  was  obliged  to  cease  his  labors  there  and  go 
elsewhere. 

The  Niagara  Street  Methodist  church  was  then  heavily 
in  debt.  Mr.  Roberts  offered  to  become  responsible  for  lift- 
ing the  indebtedness,  if  the  trustees  would  make  the  seats 
free.  His  proposal  was  not  accepted.  The  church  was  aft- 
erward sold  for  its  indebtedness.  It  has  since  been  used  as  a 
Jewish  synagogue,  until,  within  the  last  year,  when  it  was 
purchased  by  the  Free  Masons  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
Masonic  temple  on  its  site. 

During  this  time  Mr.  Redfield  wrote  the  following  letter: 

"BUFFALO,  N.  Y.,  January  4,1853. 

"Dear  Bro.  Hicks  and  Company: — I  received  your  letter 
before  I  left  Bath,  which  was  last  Friday.  Since  I  last  wrote 
you  we  have  had  hard  battles,  and  some  triumphant  victories. 
Oh!  how  my  heart  ached  when  I  learned  how  God's  house 
of  prayer  has  been  turned  into  a  den  of  thieves.  But  what 
can  be  done?  I  don't  know!  I  don't  know!  May  God 
help  you  to  hold  on  a  little  while  longer.  There's  a  crown  for 
you;  hold  on!  hold  OW//HOLD  ON!!!  Oh,  how  I  want  to  see 
you!  All  your  struggles  and  contests  and  toils  make  you  all 
dear  to  me;  and  I  know  you  are  dear  to  him, 'who  endured 
such  contradiction  of  sinners  against  himself.'  Think, 
dearly  beloved,  when  you  are  writhing  under  persecution, 
God's  word  hath  said,  'He  that  toucheth  you,  toucheth  the 
apple  of  his  eye.'  Jesus  has  also  said,  'If  they  have  per- 
secuted me  they  will  also  persecute  you."  And,  again, 
'It  were  better  that  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his 
[your  enemy's]  neck,  and  he  cast  into  the  depths  of  the  sea, 


282  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIHLD. 

than  that  he  should  offend  one  of  these  little  ones  which  be- 
lieve in  me.'  Fight  on,  fight  ever!  Live  on,  and  live  for- 
ever. Amen!  Hallelujah!  Glory  to  God! 

"I   want  to  hear   from    Mother  A ,  particularly.     I 

meant  to  have  written  her  before  this  time,  but  do  not  remem- 
ber her  given  name.  Give  my  love  to  Sister  A ,  and 

Brother  and  Sister  B ,  and   especially  Brother  S ;  in 

fact,  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus. 

"Brother  W is  here,  running  the  old  line  straight  for 

God.  I  wish  he  could  be  preacher  of  the  Brick  church  for 
two  years.  But  it  is  useless  to  hope;  the  powers  and  members 
are  all  on  the  side  of  the  opposition.  It  will  not  always  be 
so.  Jesus  will  by-and-by  come  and  straighten  all  these  mat- 
ters. O  my  God,  my  heart  feels  almost  ready  to  burst 
with  anguish  when  I  look  at  the  desolations!  What  can  I  do? 
I  don't  know.  What  I  mean  to  do,  I  know.  I  mean,  unless  I 
backslide,  to  throw  myself  into  the  hottest  battles.  They 
may  ride  over  me,  fight  me,  spit  on  me;  but  in  the  name  of 
God,  when  I  see  them  stabbing  at  Jesus,  they  shall  sheathe 
their  swords  in  me  first,  if  I  can  get  between  them  and  him. 
If  I  cannot  conquer  for  Jesus,  I  can  die  for  him.  I  have 
tried  to  make  a  bulwark  of  my  reputation,  and  of  all  I  hold 
dear  on  earth.  Let  them  batter  me,  I'll  go  singing,  'I'll  stand 
the  storm,  it  won't  be  long.'  But  how  much  I  need  of  sal- 
vation's power,  of  humility,  meekness,  gentleness,  goodness. 

"It  encourages  me  as  I  go  from  place  to  place  to  think 
of  the  precious  few  who  are  holding  on.  Yet  when  I  see 
some  coming  out  into  the  light  and  shining  with  the  blessing 
of  perfect  love,  I  ask:  Who  knows  what  their  next  preacher 
will  do?  Likely  enough  he  will  try  to  undo  the  whole 
work.  But  I  think  of  the  little  band  at  Syracuse  and  other 
places,  and  I  am  again  encouraged  to  hold  on,  and  I  sing 
again,  'I'll  stand  the  storm.' 

"God  bless  you  all. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


A  NEW  CHURCH  AT  SYRACUSE.  283 

From  Buffalo  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Townsendville  to  the 
help  of  his  especial  friend,  Rev.  J.  K.  Tinkham.  A  glorious 
revival  occurred,  and  many  were  converted. 

From  Townsendville  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  P B 

(probably  Port  Byron),  to  assist   Brother  P (probably 

Purdy),  in  a  church  which  once  belonged  to  the  Presbyter- 
ians, but  had  been  sold  to  pay  the  preacher's  salary.  What 
were  the  results  of  this  meeting  cannot  now  be  told,  but  the 
need  of  a  revival  is  seen  from  the  circumstance  just  related. 

He  now  went  again  to  Syracuse  to  visit  the  brethren. 
After  a  few  services  had  been  held,  it  was  determined  to 
build  a  church.  A  cheap  building  of  rough  hemlock  boards, 
and  plastered  with  one  coat,  was  erected  and  dedicated  to 
God.  An  engraving  of  it,  that  heads  a  letter  written  from 
this  place  to  Rev.  W.  C.  Kendall,  shows  it  to  have  been  the 
extreme  of  plainness  and  simplicity.  From  the  beginning 
of  the  effort  their  meetings  were  attended  with  great  mani- 
festations of  power  and  success.  The  opposition  manifested 
by  Methodist  preachers  during  the  great  revival  in  the  Con- 
gregational church,  a  short  time  before,  broke  out  anew. 
But  the  presiding  elder  favored  the  new  movement,  and 
those  engaged  in  the  work  were  organized  into  the  Third 
church.  The  course  of  the  elder  changed  the  controversy 
to  the  question  of  the  wisdom  and  legality  of  his  adminis- 
tration. But  the  conference  was  willing  to  accqpt  of  the 
new  society,  without  regard  to  the  question  of  legality,  and 
sent  them  a  preacher.  The  society  soon  found,  however, 
that  the  preachers  appointed  by  the  conference  were  opposed 
to  the  spiritual  freedom  enjoyed  by  the  membership. 

After  some  years  an  effort  was  made  by  the  preachers  to 
disband  the  society;  but  God  had  raised  up  a  layman  of  deep 
experience  and  determined  spirit,  who  could  not  be  coaxed 
or  driven  from  what  he  thought  was  right.  This  was  Clark 
T.  Hicks,  to  whom  the  letter  in  this  chapter  is  addressed." 
He  was  a  man  of  fine  business  abilities,  which  kept  him  in 


284  LM-K  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

the  recorder's  office  of  the  county,  either  as  head  officer  or 
deputy,  for  more  than  forty  years.  It  is  said  that  in  his  work 
of  recording,  during  all  this  time,  there  is  not  a  mistake  or 
an  erasure  to  be  found.  In  his  religious  life  he  seemed  to 
follow  the  Lord  in  like  manner.  Radical  upon  every  ques- 
tion in  which  morals,  or  the  rights  of  God  or  man  were  at 
issue,  pronounced  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions,  and  filled 
with  the  loving  tenderness  of  the  Christian,  he  was  well 
fitted  to  stand  in  the  front  and  take  the  •  blows  and  rebuffs 
that  came  in  the  path  of  duty.  It  was  often  his  duty  to  pro- 
nounce the  oath  for  witnesses  in  the  court-room,  and  it  is 
said  of  him,  that  men  who  were  expected  by  their  employers 
to  swear  falsely,  were  sometimes  frightened  into  testifying  to 
the  truth  by  his  manner. 

The  new  society  lived  and  flourished,  more  or  less,  at 
times;  had  its  revivals  and  declensions,  became  at  one  time  an 
independent  church,  and,  finally,  when  the  Free  Methodist 
Church  was  organized,  became  attached  to  that  body. 

How  long  Mr.  Red  field  remained  at  Syracuse  after  the 
organization  of  the  Third  church,  or  where  and  how  he 
spent  his  time  after  leaving  there  cannot  now  be  told,  but  the 
next  trace  of  him  is  found  in  1855,  where,  in  Burlington, 
Vermont,  he  was  engaged  in  one  of  his  most  successful 
meetings. 


CHAPTER   XLV. 

IN  February,  1855,  Mr.  Redfield  was  invited  to  visit 
Burlington,  Vermont,  and  assist  in  a  protracted  meeting. 
Mr.  Purdy  had  preceded  him  two  weeks,  and  in  his  charac- 
teristically thorough  manner  had  prepared  the  way  for  Mr. 
Redfield's  coming.  There  had  not  been  a  revival  in  the 
place  for  twenty-one  years.  The  pastor  was  favorable  to 
old-fashioned  Methodism,  and  stood  by  the  work  like  a  man 
of  God.  Opposition  from  other  churches  set  in,  as  was  often  the 
case  in  those  days,  but  God  gave  the  victory.  Many  remark- 
able conversions  took  place,  and  the  revival  spread  through 
the  town  and  the  community  round  about,  until  more  than 
one  thousand  persons  had  been  converted  to  God.  So  many 
were  the  accessions  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  that 
there  was  strong  talk  of  organizing  a  second  church,  and 
erecting  another  place  of  worship.  This  met  with  great 
opposition  from  some  of  the  conference  ministers  who  thought 
that  Methodism  had  become  numerically  so  strong  that  one 
society  and  a  stately  edifice  which  would  vie  with  those  of 
the  other  denominations,  was  the  better  policy.  Mr.  Redfield 
advised  against  this,*as  those  who  were  in  favor  of  it  among 
the  membership  were  such  as  were  of  no  assistance  in  revival 
work,  and  such  a  policy  would  bring  them  to  the  front  and 
endanger  the  spirituality  of  the  whole.  Besides  this,  he 
feared  the  bringing  in  of  a  spirit  to  outdo  other  churches, 
which  would  undoubtedly  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  next  pastor,  who  came  soon  after  the  revival,  en- 
deavored to  carry  out  the  policy  advocated  by  the  preachers 
at  conference,  but  failed,  and  the  new  organization  was 
effected.  An  effort  was  now  made  to  counteract  Mr.  Red- 
field's  influence  and  build  a  fashionable  church.  To  do  this, 
slanderous  stories  were  circulated  about  him,  in  regard  to  his 
wife,  who  had  deserted  him  nineteen  years  before.  But  the 

(285) 


286  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

second  church  was  built,  much  according  to  his  advice,  and 
the  society  became  a  power  for  good. 

In  The  Congregationalist,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  for 
February  11,  1886,  I  find  the  following  with  respect  to  this 
revival.  The  writer,  Rev.  R.  B.  Howard,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  a  sketch  of  Rev.  C.  L.  Goodell,  D.D., 
of  St.  Louis,  who  had  lately  died,  says: 

"Toward  the  close  of  young  Goodell's  last  college  year, 
1855,  a  remarkable  work  of  grace,  beginning  in  the  Method- 
ist church,  in  the  village  below,  under  the  labors  of  a 
Doctor  Redfield,  a  popular,  eloquent,  and  successful  revivalist, 
gradually  spread  up  to  the  college.  Goodell,  meantime, 
with  several  other  college  students,  had  become  greatly 
interested  in  Doctor  Redfield  and  his  meetings,  not  so  much 
on  religious  grounds  as  on  the  score  of  his  eloquence,  and  the 
marvelous  sweetness  of  his  singing.  The  writer  will  never 
forget  seeing  Goodell  and  another  gifted  classmate,  by  the 
name  of  Robinson,  night  after  night  elbowing  their  way  to 
the  front,  and  sitting  flat  on  the  carpet  before  the  pulpit — 
the  house  being  too  full  for  them  to  obtain  seats — for  the 
sake  of  listening  to  the  wonderful  oratorical  flights  of  that 
now  long  since  departed,  but  gifted  evangelist;  little  dream- 
ing, meanwhile,  that  he  was  himself  so  soon  successfully  to 
engage  in  the  same  glorious  work  of  calling  sinners  to 
repentance." 

In  a  letter  to  the  California  Christian  Advocate,  by  the 
same  writer,  about  the  same  time,  I  find  the  following: 

"It  so  happened  that  Dr.  Goodell  and  the  writer  were 
converted  in  the  same  revival  at  the  University  of  Vermont, 
in  connection  with  the  labors  of  an  eloquent  and  successful 
revivalist  named  Redfield.  The  revival  proper  was  con- 
ducted at  the  Methodist  churcji,  but  the  good  work  extended 
to  the  University,  where,  in  a  few  weeks,  twenty-five  or 
thirty  young  men  were  converted,  many,  if  not  most  of 
whom,  became  ministers." 


A  LETTER  TO  REV.  W.  C.  KENDALL.  287 

A  letter  written  to  Rev.  W.  C.  Kendall,  at  this  time, 
reveals  the  spirit  that  actuated  the  man: 

"BURLINGTON,  VT.,  February  24,  1855. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall,  and  the  church  of 
pilgrims  who  visit  your  house:  —  "Your  very  welcome 
letter,  postmarked  the  2ist,  has  this  day  arrived,  and, 
oh!  how  my  heart  sunk  within  me,  as  I  read  that  your 
church  is  wading  through  seas  of  conflict,  and  especially 
that  your  principal  foes  are  among  those  from  whom  you 
have  a  right  to  expect  better  things.  Your  duty  is  plainly 
laid  out  before  you.  You  must  not,  cannot,  and  I  know 
you  will  not,  sell  out  the  interests  of  Jesus  though  all  men 
forsake  and  persecute  him  in  the  persons  of  his  disciples. 
Thank  the  Lord,  there  are  some  who  will  drink  his  cup  and 
be  baptized  with  his  baptism.  They  can  well  afford  to  give 
all  for  God,  for  their  record  is  on  high.  It  does  seem  worth 
infinitely  more  than  the  cost  to  feel  the  blessed  assurance  that 
they  are  trying  to  be  faithful  representatives  of  Christ,  and 
that  he  will  say  of  them,  as  he  did  of  Job,  'They  can  be 
trusted.'  Yes,  they  will  pass  through  the  crucible  and 
triumphantly  shout,  'Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in 
him.'  Oh,  how  I  want  to  bless  you  all !  My  heart,  reputa- 
tion, and  life,  are  at  the  service  of  Jesus  and  the  pilgrims. 
How  it  does  encourage  me  to  labor  on,  when  I  think  there 
are  a  few  faithful  ones  who  dare  to  die  for  the  blessed  cause 
of  the  great  salvation.  I  want  you  to  greet  all  the  blessed 
ones  in  my  behalf.  Tell  Brother  Seth  [Woodruff,  a  layman 
of  great  religious  activity  and  power  in  prayer],  I  will 
let  him  know  when  I  go  back  to  Syracuse,  and  I  shall 
expect  him  to  go  with  me.  Remember  me  especially  to 
Brother  Roberts — God  bless  him — and  your  father,  and 

Sister  S .  I  hope  when  I  return  to  Syracuse  that  she 

and  yourself  will  come  down  and  visit  the  Syracusans. 

"Brother  Purdy  left  here  on  Monday  last.     As  usual,  he 


288  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

left  his  mark  here.  Many  of  the  church  have  been  quick- 
ened, and  a  goodly  number  of  sinners  converted.  He  received 
forty  on  probation  the  Saturday  night  before  he  left.  He  is 
now  at  Palmyra,  but  is  to  begin  a  meeting  in  Troy  next 
week.  He  says  he  has  no  more  work  in  Western  New 
York,  and  of  course  I  cannot  expect  him  to  go  with  me  to 
Syracuse.  If  I  go  there  I  shall  depend  on  Brothers  Wood- 
ruff, Tinkham,  Kendall,  Wallace,  and  Roberts,  and  others  to 
come  to  our  help.  I  shall  probably  stay  here  two  weeks 
longer. 

"Yours,  etc., 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

He  now,  as  the  following  letter  will  show,  was  connected 
with  another  physician  in  starting  a  medical  infirmary  at 
Syracuse,  with  a  branch  at  Burlington,  Vt.: 

"April  25,  1855. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall:  —  "Ye  troublers 
of  Israel ;  the  Lord  bless  you  forever  and  ever.  I  returned 
to  this  place  yesterday  afternoon,  and  sat  down  to  answer 
yours  of  the  1 6th,  but  I  was  so  exhausted  that  I  was 
compelled  to  defer  it  until  this  morning.  It  is  refresh- 
ing, my  dear  troublers,  to  know  that  there  are  those  who 
dare  'hazard  all  for  God  at  a  clap,'  and  then  take  the 
consequences.  Let  history,  common  sense, -and  religion 
answer  the  question  of  what  would  become  of  vital  godli- 
ness in  the  churches  in  ten  years  if  there  were  none  to  stand 
up  for  the  truth.  The  ashes  of  the  martyrs  have  been,  and 
must  be,  the  seed  of  the  church.  I  think  that  neither  you 
nor  Sister  K —  —  are  too  good  for  such  a  fate..  Jesus  made 
himself  of  no  reputation,  and  got  killed  for  it.  It  is  enough 
for  the  servant  to  be  as  his  master.  I  thank  God  that  some 
of  us  are  counted  worthy  of  shame  for  the  name  of  Jesus. 
Oh,  how  it  nerves  me  for  the  conflict  when  I  remember  that 
others  with  me  are  enduring  cruel  mockings.  Amen!  Halle- 


SOME'  CORRESPONDENCE.  289 

lujah!!  Go  on,  on,  on,  on.  I  want  to  see  you  very  much, 
and  I  greet  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  If  Sister  K — 
and  others  can  come  to  Syracuse  we  can  accommodate  them 
now.  I  am  boarding  with  Doctor  Wager,  who  is  making 
arrangements  to  accommodate  a  number  of  invalids.  I  in- 
close a  card  which  will  direct  to  the  house  and  office.  The 
house  is  pleasantly  situated,  and  abundantly  large  to  accom- 
modate a  goodly  number  of  pilgrims.  The  Lord  willing, 
we  mean  to  make  it  a  pilgrims'  rest. 

"I  would  like  to  go  to  your  camp  meeting,  and  will  if  I 
can  make  it  convenient  to  do  so.  Give  my  love  to  everybody 
that  loves  Jesus.  Business  pressure  compels  me  to  be  short 
this  time. 

"Yours  forever  and  ever, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

"P.  S. — We  design  to  keep  an  infirmary. 

"R." 

On  May  7,  he  wrote  from  the  same  place  as  follows: 

"Dear  Brother  Kendall: — Your  favor  of  the  3rd  has  just 
come  to  hand,  and  glad  indeed  am  I  to  hear  from  you,  and  most 
of  all,  from  the  tone  of  your  letter,  that  you  have  not  been 
bought,  coaxed,  nor  frightened  from  your  stand  for  God  and 
the  truth.  Oh,  how  my  heart  takes  courage  at  the  sound  of  the 
war-whoop  from  the  few  daring  servants  of  God,  who  are  big 
enough  to  be  little,  who  know  enough  to  be  simple,  and  who 
have  courage  enough  to  dare  to  stand  up  and  out,  straight  for  the 
right!  Our  cause  is  right;  it  will  triumph.  We  shall  conquer. 
Go  ahead,  dear  brother,  and  when  your  reputation  is  all  ex- 
hausted in  the  war,  you  are  at  liberty  to  draw  upon  me  for 
what  fragments  of  a  broken-down  reputation  I  may  have 
left. 

"We  had  great  times  at  Burlington.  Brother  Purdy 
as  usual,  under  God,  put  things  in  their  right  places, 
and  laid  a  foundation  to  build  upon.  How  many  were  con- 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  K  i  m  n.i.n. 

verted,  ns  a  result  of  his  labors,  I  cannot  tell,  and  probably 
it  cannot  be  known  this  side  of  eternity.  But  if  we  may 
reckon  on  the  reflex  influence,  as  manifest  in  the  many 
extensive  revivals  round  about,  that  grew  out  of  his  labors 
here,  I  shall  not  go  wide  of  the  mark  when  I  say  that  the 
number  is  about  2,000.  Revivals  sprang  up  in  almost  every 
quarter,  from  ten  to  one  hundred  miles  away,  as  the  result 
of  Brother  Purdy's  labors.  God  bless  him.  You  can  form 
something  of  an  opinion  of  it,  when  I  tell  you  that  at 
Burlington  we  had  from  sixty  to  eighty  at  the  altar,  and 
anxious  seats  each  night  in  the  main  audience-room,  besides 
a  large  number  at  the  same  time  in  the  lecture-room;  and 
that  a  new  second  church  is  now  being  erected,  and  the 
work  is  still  going  on;  that  in  one  place,  fifty  miles  away, 
about  fifty  are  at  the  altar  each  night,  at  another  place 
twenty-five,  and  still  another  twenty,  and  in  many  other 
places  from  ten  to  twenty.  One  preacher,  who  came  more 
than  fifty  miles  to  the  meeting  in  B ,  said  that  our  meet- 
ing was  shaking  almost  the  entire  state  of  Vermont. 

"Well,  dear  brother,  let  them  kill  you  if  they  can,  and 
knock  you  all  to  pieces;  Jesus  will  gather  up  every  fragment 
at  the  last. 

"I  feel  a  great  desire  to  be  at  one  of  your  preachers' 
meetings,  and  especially  at  the  camp  meeting.  But  I  must 
go  back  to  Burlington  for  a  season  to  take  charge  of  a 
department  in  a  large  infirmary.  I  spend  only  part  of  my 
time  here,  and  I  may  be  compelled  to  be  there  at  the  time 
of  your  camp  meeting.  I  wish  I  was  able  to  devote  all  my 
time  to  the  work,  but  I  am  compelled  to  use  part  of  it  for 
the  meat  that  perisheth. 

"Our  terms,  for  board,  washing  and  treatment,  are  $10.50 
per  week.  This  includes  nursing,  hydropathic  and  homeo- 
pathic treatment,  and  everything  else  pertaining  to  the  good 
and  comfort  of  the  patient.  But  until  we  can  get  ready  the 
great  establishment  we  have  in  contemplation,  we  shall 


A  FEW  OBSERVATIONS.  291 

charge  but  $7.50.      Our  large  establishment  will  cost  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

"Yours  as  ever, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

Several    important    things  may    be    learned    from    these 
letters: 

1.  The  absence  in  him  of  anything  like  rivalry,  or  vain- 
glory.     The  letters  of  Rev.   Mr.   Howard   show   that  Mr. 
Redfield  was  the  principal   figure  in  that   great  revival,  but 
he  gives  the  honor  to  his  friend,  Purdy. 

2.  The  fact  that  he  did  not  make  a  gain  of  his  work  as 
an  evangelist.     The    fifty  or  one  hundred   dollars  per  week 
charged  by  some    modern    evangelists   would   have  enabled 
him  to  devote  all  his  time  to  God's  work,  as  he  desired. 

3.  The  peculiar  work  in  which    he    engaged    now  and 
then  to  replenish  his  purse. 

4.  His  hearty  sympathy  for  all  who  were  suffering  for 
Jesus'  sake.     And  there  were  many  of  these  at  that  time. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

WHILE  Mr.  Redfield  was  engaged  in  the  work  of  a 
physician  at  this  time,  he  began  seriously  to  consider  the 
question  of  marriage.  Nineteen  years  had  gone  by  since  his 
wife  deserted  him,  and  fourteen  since  the  courts  had  given 
him  a  legal  separation  from  her.  Several  years  had  also 
gone  by  since  he,  by  two  ministers  of  the  church,  heard  that 
she  was  dead;  and  nothing  to  the  contrary  had  ever  come  to 
his  knowledge.  A  careful  consideration  of  all  the  facts  and 
of  the  law  in  the  case,  convinced  him  that  there  were  no 
legal  nor  moral  barriers  in  the  way;  and  he  determined  to 
marry,  if  a  suitable  opportunity  presented  itself. 

One  of  the  causes  that  led  him  to  this  decision  was,  that 
his  enemies  were  continually  taking  advantage  of  his  single 
condition  to  fabricate  and  circulate  slanderous  stories  about 
him.  He  thought  the  presence  of  a  wife  with  him  wher- 
ever he  went  would  put  a  stop  to  this;  but,  to  his  sorrow,  he 
found  this  was  not  so. 

Among  the  many  who  came  to  the  infirmary  for  treat- 
ment was  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and 
*who  had  had  some  experience  in  city  mission  work.  She,  like 
himself,  had  been  unfortunate  in  her  married  life,  and  was 
now  separated  from  her  husband.  Mr.  Redfield  finally  pro- 
posed marriage  to  her,  and  his  offer  was  accepted.  Imme- 
diately after  closing  a  revival  effort  at  Keesville,  N.  Y.,  he 
was  quietly  married  to  this  lady  by  a  Methodist  minister  in 
the  presence  of  a  few  witnesses. 

Instead  of  this  hushing  the  tongues  of  his  detractors,  it 
only  gave  them  a  double  opportunity  to  harass  him.  Because 
of  this  occasion  for  offense,  as  some  judged  it  to  be,  some  of 
his  warmest  friends  were  greatly  afflicted.  This  hedged  up 
his  way  in  many  places,  and  destroyed  his  influence.  His 
was  doubtless  one  of  those  peculiar  instances  spoken  of  by 

(282) 


IN  THE  FIELD  AGAIN.  293 

St.  Paul,  in  which  the  lawful  is  not  expedient.  Since  his 
death  it  has  been  remarked,  and  supposed  to  be  true,  that  he 
regretted  this  step;  but  in  a  review  of  his  life,  written  by 
himself,  he  has  recorded  this: 

"I  went  to  Keesville,  to  hold  a  meeting,  and  about  the 
close  I  saw  fit  to  be  married  to  one  whom  I  then  believed, 
and  now  know,  to  be  in  every  respect  a  helpmeet  to  me  in 
the  gospel  field." 

Mrs.  Redfield,  after  a  few  days,  went  on  a  visit  to  her 
father's,  while  he  went  to  fill  an  engagement  to  hold  a 
meeting.  The  name  of  the  place  of  this  meeting  he  does 
not  give,  and  the  writer  has  no  means  of  learning  it.  Of  the 
effort  put  forth  at  this  place  he  makes  this  brief  record:  "I 
again  saw  the  power  of  God  displayed." 

A  few  days'  visit  among  his  own  people  with  his  wife, 
and  then  they  were  away  to  Lima,  N.  Y.,  where  he  had 
been  expected  for  some  time. 

In  a  letter  to  Samuel  Huntington,  dated  April  pth,  1856, 
two  weeks  after  he  left  Lima,  he  wrote: 

"I  found  that  two  years  before  the  church  door  was 
locked  against  the  preacher  (probably  Purdy)  and  the 
people  by  one  of  the  college  professors.  The  principal 
teacher  in  the  seminary  was  dismissed,  and  a  woman,  who 
made  no  profession  of  religion,  elected  in  her  place.  Sub- 
ordinate teachers  were  employed,  who  taught  the  Methodist 
girls  of  the  seminary  to  dance. 

"Well,  enough  of  this.  We  began  the  fight  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  opposition  started.  Then  came  out  a 
large  number  of  students — some  of  them  confessed  their 
opposition  to  the  work  when  Brother  Purdy  was  here — and 
soon  came  into  the  enjoyment  of  justification,  and  then  of 
sanctification;  and  then  they  confessed  that  the  college  in- 
fluence had  killed  them.  Soon  the  Lord  had  the  quorum, 
and  the  opposition  was  compelled  to  stack  arms.  This  con- 
tinued until  one  or  two  fell  in  the  street,  and  lay  in  an  agony 
21 


294  LIKK  OF  JOHN  W.  RKOFIKLD. 

of  prayer  for  the  cause  and  the  church.  A  goodly  number 
of  the  young  men  are  going  out  to  preach  full  salvation,  and 
some  of  them,  if  faithful,  will  make  workers  like  Brother 
Purely  in  zeal  and  firmness." 

Mr.  Redfield's  criticisms  on  the  doings  of  the  church, 
and  the  influence  of  the  college  and  seminary  on  the  young 
Christians  sent  there,  finally  occasioned  his  leaving  before 
his  work  was  done. 

A  card  from  Rev.  Woodruff  Post,  of  the  Genesee  Con- 
ference, Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  contributes  the 
following: 

"A  Mrs.  Wilbur  Hoag,  though  a  professed  Christian  and 
a  member  of  the  church,  had  for  a  long  time  mourned, 
unreconciled,  the  death  of  her  husband, — to  use  her  own 
words,  'even  to  worshiping  a  spire  of  grass  that  grew  upon 
his  grave,' — was  gloriously  saved,  so  that  she  was  enabled 
to  triumph  in  the  Lord,  and  with  joy  to  say,  'I  give  up  all 
for  Jesus.'  The  rest  of  soul  which  she  then  experienced 
enabled  her  afterwards  to  triumph  under  the  loss  of  her  only 
child  Julia,  whom  she  bad  educated  for  a  useful  life." 

At  this  time  a  severe  conflict  was  raging  in  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  in  the  Genesee  Conference,  between 
those  who  were  preaching  and  professing  perfect  love,  and 
those  who  were  opposed  to  the  same.  Charges  were  being 
brought  against  Mr.  Kendall,  Mr.  Roberts,  Mr.  M'Creery, 
and  others  among  the  ministry,  while  many  among  the  laity 
were  also  passing  through  severe  persecution  from  the 
worldly  element  in  the  church. 

For  several  years  a  laymen's  camp  meeting  had  been 
held  annually  near  Bergen,  Genesee,  Co.  New  York,  for  the 
promotion  of  holiness.  This  had  been  under  the  charge  of 
laymen,  to  keep  it  from  being  controlled  by  church  officials, 
who  were  opposed  to  its  object.  This  meeting  was  attended 
by  such  men  as  Seymour  Coleman,  B.  W.  Gorham,  then 
editor  of  the  Guide  to  Holiness^  George  Wells,  Benjamin 


LAYMEN'S  CAMP  MEETING.  295 

Pomeroy,  Henry  Belden,  Fay  H.  Purely,  and  many  others, 
all  mighty  men  of  God,  and  noted  for  being  advocates  of 
the  doctrine  and  experience  of  perfect  love.  This  camp 
meeting  was  largely  attended,  and  extensive  in  itsjnfiuence. 
Wonderful  were  the  manifestations  of  divine  power  that 
here  took  place.  Multitudes  were  converted  and  sanctified, 
and  many  ministers  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  went  to  their  homes  in  distant  parts  of  the  country  to 
kindle  similar  fires  for  God  and  souls.  The  grove  in  which 
these  camp  meetings  were  held  was  a  magnificent  one,  held 
by  a  corporation,  in  trust,  for  religious  purposes.  When  at 
last  the  administration  of  the  church  began  to  expel  both 
ministers  and  laymen  who  were  identified  with  this  work,  an 
attempt  was  made,  and  finally  succeeded,  to  get  control  of 
this  camp  ground,  to  put  an  end  to  the  meeting.  Advantage 
was  taken  of  a  technicality  in  the  articles  of  incorporation, 
in  which  the  name  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
used,  and  those  who  had  contributed  towards  the  purchase 
of  the  property,  had  it  wrested  from  them  under  the  forms 
of  law.  While  the  question  of  title  was  inr  litigation,  those 
who  were  trying  to  get  control  of  the  same  went,  one 
winter,  and  cut  down  the  entire  grove  and  destroyed  it  for 
camp  meeting  purposes. 

It  was  at  such  a  time  as  this,  and  in  such  circumstances, 
Mr.  Redfield  was  now  laboring.  Every  mistake  of  his 
was  magnified  into  a  crime,  and  many  of  his  former 
friends,  through  fear  and  misapprehension,  turned  away 
from  him.  Those  who  knew  him  best,  who  had  been 
brought  into  the  closest  fellowship  with  him,  now  drew 
closer  to  him  than  ever.  Their  private  fellowship  became 
intensely  spiritual,  and  many  were  the  special  manifestations 
of  the  divine  presence  and  favor  they  received,  as  they  com- 
muned together,  of  their  trials  and  conflicts,  and  prospects. 


CHAPTER    XLVII. 

FROM  Lima  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
For  several  years  he  had  felt  that  he  had  a  work  to  do  in 
that  city,  and  now  for  the  first  time  the  way  had  opened 
for  him  to  go  there.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The  pastor  was  one  who 
dared  to  stand  alone  where  principle  was  involved.  Mr. 
Redfield  thought  he  had  reason  to  believe  him  prejudiced 
against  him,  personally,  yet  he  acted  like  a  nobleman.  The 
presiding  elder  seemed  to  have  been  of  another  type,  for 
knowing  the  revival  meeting  to  be  in  progress,  he  appointed 
a  special  meeting  to  be  held  in  the  same  house  and  at  the 
same  hour  it  was  being  occupied.  The  pastor,  knowing  his 
own  rights,  refused  him  the  church.  But  when  the  power 
of  God  began  to  come,  and  some  fell,  and  other  demonstra- 
tions of  primitive  Methodism  began  to  appear,  he  became 
frightened,  and  declared  the -meetings  must  stop.  The 
other  city  preachers  began  to  utter  their  protests  against  the 
work.  One  of  them  said  to  his  flock,  "If  you  don't  keep 
away  from  the  First  church,  I  will  vacate  this  pulpit."  Some 
answered,  "Then  give  us  something  to  eat."  When  such 
efforts  failed,  the  preachers  collected  together  and  discussed 
the  propriety  of  allowing  Mr.  Redfield  to  stay  any  longer. 
In  the  midst  of  this,  when  the  pressure  was  so  great  that  he 
could  hardly  endure  it,  a  man  came  to  him  one  day  and  said, 
"We  have  $3,000  pledged  towards  building  a  church  if  you 
will  stay  and  be  the  pastor."  But  he  saw  the  result  of  this 
would  be  such  a  storm  about  him  as  he  had  never  experienced 
before;  and  he  replied  that  he  could  not  accept  of  the  offer. 

Just  at  this  time  he  received  a  letter  from  Rev.  David 
Sherman,  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  inviting  him  to  come  there 
and  hold  a  meeting.  In  the  next  chapter  we  shall  see  the 
beginning  of  his  work  in  the  West. 

*    (296) 


INCIDENTS  AT  ROCHESTER,  N.  Y.  297 

During  the  time  of  his  labors  in  Rochester,  Rev.  Charles 
G.  Finney,  the  evangelist,  was  also  holding  meetings  in  the 
city,  and  occasionally  came  to  the  afternoon  meetings  conduct- 
ed by  Mr.  Redfielcl.  He,  a  Congregationalist,  could  endure 
and  endorse  what  the  Methodist  preachers  of  the  city  could 
not.  The  two  men  seemed  to  enjoy  each  others'  society, 
and  to  bid  each  other  Godspeed  in  their  mission  of  calling 
souls  to  Christ. 

Among  the  results  of  this  meeting,  quite  a  number  of 
persons  entered  into  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  love.  Some 
of  these  have  gone  to  their  eternal  reward,  while  others 
still  hold  on  their  way.  Among  those  who  experienced 
this  great  blessing  was  the  wife  of  the  world-renowned 
florist,  James  Vick,  who  has  now,  for  more  than  thirty  years, 
held  up  the  light  of  a  full  salvation. 

Mr.  Redfield  was  reluctant  to  leave  the  field  and  the  little 
band  who  had  been  led  into  the  light  and  who  were  begin- 
ning to  walk  with  God.  But  the  thought  that  perhaps  he 
might  find  a  field  in  the  West,  where  the  truth  would  be 
given  free  course,  where  the  regular  ministry  were  more 
humble  and  had  more  of  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  the 
Master,  helped  him  to  a  willingness  to  go. 

-  Before  leaving  here  he  wrote  to  Samuel  Huntington,  a 
full  outline  of  his  life,  giving  all  the  details  of  his  family 
troubles,  and  the  circumstances  that  led  to  his  last  marriage. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  go  over  these  again,  as  there  is  so  much 
of  it  in  these  pages  now.  Suffice  it  to  say,  this  was  Mr. 
Redfield's  first  attempt  at  anything  like  a  vindication  of  him- 
self. The  letter  now  before  me  is  in  his  own  handwriting, 
and  corroborates  the  narrative  of  his  sorrowful  life  contained 
in  former  chapters  of  this  book.  In  this  letter  he  authorizes 
Mr.  Huntington  to  use  the  facts  put  in  his  hands  in  any  way 
he  sees  fit.  He  also  authorizes  him  to  say,  to  those  who  are 
maliciously  following  him,  that  the  matter  has  reached  a  point 
where  he  feels  that  the  cause  of  Christ  demands  that  he 


298  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

shall  hold  them  accountable  to  a  bar  of  justice  if  they  do  not 
cease.  The  datq  of  the  letter  discloses  the  fact  that  this  cor- 
respondence was  going  on  during  a  revival  meeting  "of 
extraordinary  power,  in  which  were  some  marvelous  mani- 
festations of  the  divine  presence.  The  whole  gives  us  a  view 
of  a  wonderful  man,  in  many  phases  of  his  character;  for 
no  ordinary  man  could  have  done  such  work  in  such  circum- 
stances. 

April  9,  1856,  he  wrote  to  the  same  brother  as  follows: 
"Dear  Blessed  Brother  Sammy: — "Your  last  came  to 
hand,  and  no  one  can  know  but  those  who  have  been  com- 
pelled to  endure  a  living  cancer,  and  smother  it,  and 
yet  have  the  very  misfortune  made  the  occasion  of  persecu- 
tion; I  say  none  else  can  know  how  heart  cheering  it  is  to 
feel  that  there  is  here  and  thefe  one  to  whom  these  troubles 
can  be  unbosomed,  and  who  can  appreciate  them  and  offer 
consolation.  But  after  writing  you  v/hat  I  did,  I  felt  some 
misgivings  for  troubling  you;  and  on  maturely  weighing 
the  whole  matter,  I  thought  I  would  trouble  you  no  more 
with  my  woes.  A  main  reason  for  telling  you  what  I  have, 
was  to  furnish  you  with  reliable  facts,  to  meet  the  preachers 
and  people  who  defame  me,  and  defend,  not  me,  but  the 
straight  salvation;  for  I  know  that  that  is  the  true  cause  of 
all  this  opposition.  I  can  give,  if  called  upon,  a  justifiable 
reason  for  every  act  of  my  life,  and  good  names  and  testi- 
mony of  all  matters  connected  with  my  whole  misfortune. 
I  have  been  so  rasped  and  harrowed  that  I  have  thought  I 
must  give  up  and  retire  to  private  life.  Finally,  while  con- 
versing with  Brother  Burdick  (a  conference  preacher),  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  make  one  more  move,  and  take  upon 
myself  the  responsibility  to  be  myself,  and  cut  off  any  further 
occasion  for  such  slanders  as  were  afloat  in  Burlington. 
And  as  there  was  no  moral  or  legal  impediment  in  the  way, 
I  have  taken  to  myself  a  wife,  one  that  is  pious  and  well 
fitted  to  co-operate  with  me  in  labor.  I  meant  to  have  seen 


LETTER  TO  SAMUEL  HUNTIMGTON.  299 

you  and  laid  the  whole  matter  before  you-,  but  could  not  get 
the  opportunity.  And  I  further  thought  I  was  under  no 
obligation  to  ask  or  inform  the  gossipers  about  the  matter. 
You  can  find  out  all  you  wish  to  know  of  Brother  Burdick. 

"I  mean,  if  I  can,  to  be  at  your  dedication;  but  of  that  I 
must  determine  when  I  get  West.  ,  When  I  see  you,  if  you 
can  bear  with  me,  I  will  tell  you  frankly  all  the  rest  of  my 
sorrows,  if  any  good  end  can  be  secured  by  it. 

"I  go  from  here  to  St.  Charles,  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
next  Monday,  for  my  last  protracted  effort.  Brother  Purely 
left  here  this  morning,  I  think  rather  discouraged  as  to  any 
great  results.  If  I  can  open  his  way  satisfactorily,  I  think 
he  will  go  West  this  summer.  I  shall  try  hard  for  it. 

"I  have  been  in  Rochester  two  weeks  last  Monday. 
The  church  will  not  get  right,  but  the  pilgrims  from  all 
churches  come  in.  The  altar  is  frequently  filled,  and  we 
have  some  strong  conversions.  The  house  is  very  large,  but 
will  not  hold  the  people.  I  never  saw  a  greater  chance  for 
a  great  work  in  any  place.  But  as  soon  as  we  get  to  a 
boiling  point,  the  moderators  put  the  fires  out,  and  we  have 
to  start  anew.  My  only  hope  is  to  strengthen  the  pilgrims, 
and  get  them  to  work  for  a  salvation  church.  Many  begin 
to  see  no  other  way  than  to  go  at  it  as  you  did  in  Burlington, 
and  have  a  church  where  they  can  practice  religion.  But 
my  ever  blessed  brother,  happy  day!  God  helping  me,  I 
will  go  the  strong  salvation  to  the  last  link  of  my  chain. 
"Yours  as  ever,  and  forever, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

The  sainted  William  C.  Kendall  was  still  laboring  at  Al- 
bion, onlv  thirty-five  miles  away,  and  Mr.  Redfield  could 
not  think  of  leaving  the  East  without  a  brief  visit  with  that 
blessed  man.  The  visit  was  made,  and  again  blessed  in 
prayer,  with  and  for  each  other,  they  parted  in  the  early 
morning  the  next  day,  never  to  meet  again  on  earth. 


300  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RBDFIKLD. 

At  this  time  persecution  was  raging  fiercely  against  many 
of  Mr.  Redfield's  friends  in  Western  New  York.  The 
Christian  Advocate,  a  semi-official  paper,  published  in  Buffa- 
lo, was  made  the  organ  of  those  opposed  to  the  doctrine  and 
experience  of  holiness  and  the  revival  of  the  usages  of  Meth- 
odism. The  columns  of  this  paper  were  open  to  rumors, 
slanders,  and  rid:cule  of  these  devoted  men.  And  even  ex- 
Bishop  Hamline  was  not  spared,  evidently,  because  of  his 
identification  with  that  doctrine. 

The  only  opportunity  there  was  for  defense  was  through 
the  Northern  Independent,  a  Methodist  paper,  published  at 
Auburn,  N.  Y.,  edited  by  Rev.  William  Hosmer,  a  man 
noted  for  his  piety  and  integrity.  He  had  been  editor  of  the 
Northern  Christian  Advocate,  the  official  organ  of  several 
conferences  in  central,  northern  and  western  New  York,  but 
because  of  his  radical  and  out-spoken  views  on  the  question 
of  slavery,  which  was  then  agitating  both  church  and  state, 
the  preceding  General  Conference  had  elected  a  conservative 
man  in  his  stead,  against  the  wishes  of  the  patronizing  con- 
ferences. This  led  to  the  founding  of  the  Northern  Inde- 
pendent, with  Mr.  Hosmer  as  editor.  Several  prominent 
ministers  were  appointed  corresponding  editors,  among 
whom  was  Mr.  Redfield's  friend,  Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts.  Over 
his  own  signature  about  this  time,  he  attempted  to  show  the 
character  of  this  opposition  to  holiness,  in  two  papers,  entitled, 
"Old  School  Methodism"  and  "New  School  Methodism." 
For  writing  those  articles,  he  was  arraigned  before  his  con- 
ference at  its  next  session,  on  the  charge  of  unchristian  con- 
duct. There  was  no  attempt  to  deny  the  truthfulness  of 
those  articles,  neither  was  Mr.  Roberts  allowed  to  prove  his 
statements.  Yet  he  was  declared  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  be 
reprimanded  by  the  bishop.  From  this,  he  appealed  to  the 
General  Conference.  The  following  year  Mr.  Roberts  was 
expelled  on  a  charge  of  contumacy,  for  publishing  an  account 
of  his  trial  the  year  before,  and  republishing  in  tract  form, 


B.  T.  ROBERTS  EXPELLED.  301 

the  articles  on  "Old  School"  and  "New  School  Methodism"; 
though  he  proved  by  the  real  publisher  that  he  had  nothing 
to  do  with  it,  and  the  only  evidence  against  him  was  that  of 
one  minister,  who  testified  that  Mr.  Roberts  handed  him  a 
package  of  the  tracts  for  distribution;  and  the  character  of 
that  minister,  as  a  witness,  was  impeached. 

Mr.  Roberts  joined  the  church  again  on  probation,  im- 
mediately after  his  expulsion,  and  the  following  year,  the 
minister  who  received  him  into  the  church,  and  several  more 
who  allowed  Mr.  Roberts  to  speak  in  their  churches,  were 
expelled  for  so  doing. 

These  historical  matters  will  help  to  explain  some  things 
in  Mr.  Redfield's  letters  that  otherwise  would  not  be  under- 
stood. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

WHEN  Mr.  Red  field  received  the  letter  from  Mr.  Sher- 
man requesting  him  to  come  to  St.  Charles,  according  to  his 
custom,  he  refused  to  go,  unless  he  was  also  invited  by  the 
official  board  of  the  charge.  Accordingly  a  meeting  of  the 
board  was  called,  and  a  resolution  inviting  him  to  come  was 
unanimously  adopted,  and  immediately  forwarded  to  him. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  he  accepted  of  the  invitation,  and 
soon  was  on  his  way  to  the  place. 

On  his  arrival  he  found  Mr.  Sherman  to  be  the  young 
minister  to  whom  he  made  the  promise,  when  laboring  with 
him  in  New  England,  that  if  he  ever  got  into  a  place  where 
he  needed  help,  to  send  for  him,  and  he  would  come  to  his 
assistance.  He  had  been  transferred  to  the  West  a  few 
years  before,  and  in  the  fall  of  1855  was  appointed  to  St. 
Charles  and  Geneva,  in  Kane  county,  Illinois.  Mr.  Sher- 
man was  one  of  that  class  of  ministers  who,  in  the  absence 
of  pulpit  talent  and  commanding  personality,  was  endowed 
with  a  copious  fountain  of  tears;  where  he  qould  not  com- 
mand, nor  persuade,  by  forceful  thought  or  well-put  words, 
he  could  succeed  by  his  tears.  But  for  some  reason  he  had 
failed  to  make  much  of  an  impression  upon  either  the  church 
or  the  world  at  St.  Charles,  and  in  his  extremity  he  sent  for 
Mr.  Red  field.  Mr.  Redfield  had  preached  but  a  short 
time  before  the  various  elements  in  the  society  were 
thoroughly  aroused.  The  few  who  were  endeavoring  to 
serve  the  Lord  drank  in  his  teachings  of  the  doctrine  and 
experience  of  perfect  love  with  avidity  and  delight.  Some 
of  these  readily  understood  him  and  appreciated  his  efforts. 
A  brother  and  sister  Osbornc  who  had  known  something  of 
his  work  in  Western  New  York.,  promptly  responded  in 
approbation.  Then  there  was  Sister  Snow,  afterwards 
known  as  "Mother  Foot,"  a  Methodist  of  many  years,  well 

(302) 


A  LIST  OF  WORTHIES.  303 

read  in  the  theology,  history  and  biography  of  the  church, 
and  who,  because  of  her  intelligence  and  force  of  character, 
had  been  a  class-leader  for  a  number  of  years.  Her  watch- 
ful eye  ever  on  the  alert  for  any  departure  from  "sound 
words,"  perceived  that  the  doctrine,  the  experience,  and  the 
methods  of  Mr.  Redfield  were  Methodistic,  and  she  gave 
her  hearty  approval  of  them.  Father  and  Mother  Garton, 
who  had  listened  to  the  preaching  of  Finley,  and  Strange, 
and  Christie,  and  Bascom,  and  many  others  of  like  charac- 
ter, were  now  made  to  think  of  olden  times,  and  the  old 
man  would  sing  his  old-time  songs  and  hymns  with  new 
unction  and  relish.  And  with  these  was  Sister  Emily  Laugh- 
lin,  daughter  of  Father  and  Mother  Garton,  a  woman  en- 
dowed with  remarkable  good  sense,  deep  insight  into 
character,  and  an  excellent  faculty  of  saying  the  right  thing 
in  the  right  time  and  the  right  place.  And  there  were  others 
who  had  not  forgotten  God,  who  listened  and  took  fresh 
courage,  buckled  the  harness  a  little  closer,  and  went  into  the 
conflict  again. 

Some  forty  of  the  membership  entered  into  the  experi- 
ence of  perfect  love.  Some  held  back  and  refused  to  walk 
in  the  light.  Several  old  church  quarrels  were  stirred  up, 
and  the  dirty  sediment  that  by  its  settling  to  the  bottom  had 
deceived  many  with  the  idea  that  all  was  well,  now  rose  to 
the  surface  in  all  its  loathsomeness.  Some  became  angry, 
some  were  frightened,  and  some  "cared  for  none  of  these 
things,"  and  the  meetings  were  forced  to  a  close. 

But  there  were  some  glorious  cases  of  conversion  and 
sanctification.  Among  these  was  that  of  Charles  Elliott 
Harroun,  now  and  from  that  time  a  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
At  this  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  church  and  choir.  One 
night  he  arose  and  spoke  as  follows:  "Brethren — I — think 
— if  this — is  religion — I  never — knew  anything  about  it. 
And — yet — I've  been — a  member — of  this  church — for  more 
than  three  years."  He  soon  afterwards  was  gloriously  saved. 


304  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

He  had  been  forward  for  several  nights,  and  seemed  to  be 
struggling  hard  to  find  peace.  At  last,  one  night,  he  arose, 
and  after  a  perfect  silence  for  a  few  moments,  and  the  con- 
gregation waiting  breathlessly  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say, 
he  suddenly  screamed  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "I'VE  GOT 
IT!" 

Enough  entered  into  the  experience  of  perfect  love,  in  ad- 
dition to  those  who  already  enjoyed  it,  to  make  "the  St. 
Charles  Pilgrims,"  as  they  began  to  be  called,  noted  through 
all  that  region  for  their  power  in  prayer,  the  clearness  of  their 
testimonies,  and  the  joy  fulness  of  their  lives.  Their  prayer 
meetings  became  seasons  of  glorious  power,  and  the  church 
was  often  made  to  ring  with  the  praises  of  God. 

April  30,  1856,  Mr.  Red  field  wrote  to  Samuel  Hunting- 
ton  again  as  follows: 

"ST.  CHARLES,  Kane  Co.,  ILL. 

"My  dear  blessed  Brother  Sammy: — I  did  not  leave 
Rochester  at  the  time  I  expected  to,  for  the  people  would 
not  let  me  off,  and  of  course  I  did  not  receive  your  letters 
directed  to  this  place,  until  I  arrived  here  last  Thursday. 

"I  had  felt  for  years  a  strong  drawing  to  Rochester,  but 
the  way  did  not  open  until  this  spring.  But  such  a  clinch 
and  contest  I  never  had  before.  Brother  Purdy  came  and 
staid  a  few  days,  but  the  opposition  was  so  strong  that  he  left, 
and  I  fear  that  he  blamed  me  for  not  leaving  also.  But  I 
did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  do  so  while  so  many  of  the  pilgrim 
stamp  were  urging  me  to  stay. 

"We  opened  meetings  in  the  First  church,  and  soon  we 
were  so  crowded  that  large  numbers  could  not  find  a  place  to 
stand  in  the  church  or  its  vestibule.  In  our  congregation 
were  the  workers  of  all  the  Methodist  churches  and  Presby- 
terians and  Baptists,  numbers  of  whom  procured  letters  from 
their  own  churches  and  came  and  joined  ours.  Then  the 
war  began  in  earnest.  Some  of  the  Methodist  preachers 
threatened  to  leave  their  charges  if  the  members  did  not  stay 


LETTER  TO  SAMUEL  HUNTINGTON.  305 

at  home;  and  the  answer  they  received  was,  'Give  us  some- 
thing to  eat,  or  we  will  continue  to  go.'  This  brought  the 
ecclesiastical  hatteries  to  bear  on  me.  The  presiding  elder 
came  down  upon  us,  and  appointed  a  business  meeting  in  our 
audience-room,  but  the  preacher-in-charge  would  not  tet  him 
have  it,  and  the  elder  behaved  so  badly  that  he  brought  him- 
self under  great  odium.  Then  the  preachers  began  to 
preach  against  us  as  croakers;  but  that  did  not  take;  and 
then  they  held  an  indignation  meeting,  and  threatened  the 
pastor  with  a  conference  castigation,  and  to  publish  me  as  an 
irresponsible  ranter,  a  heretic,  a  divider  of  churches,  a  maker 
of  the  people  crazy,  etc. 

"Then  the  men  of  the  world  took  it  up,  and  I  was  in- 
formed that  about  five  hundred  in  number  proposed  to  build 
me  a  church  where  the  great  salvation  could  be  preached 
without  hinderance.  You  may  rely  upon  it  that  we  began 
to  have  pretty  hot  work  by  that  time;  and  wonderful  to  tell, 
amid  all  this,  God  came  in 'power  and  some  of  the  most  hope- 
less cases  in  the  city  were  saved. 

"But  I  thought  it  best  amid  such  a  clatter,  to  break  away 
and  come  West.  It  was  hard  parting  with  the  multitude  who 
followed  us  to  the  train;  numbers  of  whom  followed  us  for 
twenty  miles  on  the  cars,  and  who  gave  us  their  blessing 
and  one  hundred  dollars  in  cash  to  help  us  on  our  way. 
They  also  insisted  that  we  should  come  back  next  winter, 
and  if  the  fight  against  us  is  too  hot,  to  take  the  city  hall  until 
a  salvation  church  can  be  built. 

"But  I  don't  know  about  the  propriety  of  such  a  move. 
My  heart  sank  within  me,  and  I  asked,  'Who  and  what  am  I, 
and  what  have  I  done,  to  merit  such  opposition?'  I  must 
say,  I  could  but  appreciate  the  great  kindness  of  the  true 
pilgrims  who  came  long  distances  to  meet  us  at  Albion,  our 
first  stopping  place,  on  our  way  to  the  West.  Notwithstand- 
ing all  we  passed  through  in  Rochester,  I  feel  confident,  dear 


306  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  KEDMKLD. 

Brother  Sammy,  that  the  good  Lord  has  made  a  mark  in  that 
place  that  will  not  soon  be  wiped  out. 

"We  arrived  here  on  Thursday  last.  We  found  the 
people  in  waiting,  and  a  goodly  number  of  whom  had  been 
praying  for  our  coming.  This  is  very  hard  soil,  but  I  do 
not  expect  much  opposition,  yet  for  a  while,  from  the 
preachers;  for  they  are,  in  many  instances,  too  much  engaged 
in  speculation,  some  of  whom  make  their  thousands  yearly. 
One  presiding  elder  keeps  a  real  estate  office,  and  does  busi- 
ness up  to  the  last  moment  on  Saturday,  before  going  to  his 
quarterly  meetings,  and  then  returns  immediately  Monday 
morning.  This  is  a  great  field,  and  must  be  cultivated  for 
Immanuel.  Night  before  last  we  had  a  powerful  demon- 
stration in  this  place.  I  believe,  if  we  can  get  down  under 
the  crust,  we  shall  see  salvation  power  of  the  right  stamp. 

"This  is  a  great  place  for  backsliders  who  have  come 
here  from  the  East. 

"I  have  done  as  you  requested,  and  have  written  a  note 
to  the  paper  where  my  wife  used  to  live,  and  from  where 
our  certificate  dates  her  residence.  I  told  you  one  of  my 
reasons  for  not  publishing  the  fact  of  our  marriage  at  Bur- 
lington. I  knew  I  was  doing  nothing  morally  or  legally 
wrong.  I  knew  I  would  be  a  subject  of  suspicion;  and  I 
did  design  to  make  it  known,  believing  that  good  people 
would  appreciate  it,  and  others  would  be  quiet  after  the  first 
blast  was  blown.  But  my  wife  had  suffered  so  much  from 
surmises  and  stories,  that  she  was  unwilling  to  have  any- 
thing more  said  for  the  gossipers  and  scandal  mongers  to  use. 
Her  cancerous  affection  is  such  that  any  great  disturbance  of 
the  mind  aggravates  her  most  agonizing  symptoms.  In 
one  instance,  after  one  of  these  disturbances,  I  had  to  watch 
over  her  night  and  day  for  ten  days,  before  I  could  subdue 
her  agony.  Even  your  kind  letter,  which  we  found  in 
waiting  here,  so  overcame  her,  that  I  was  fearful  of  the 
results  for  three  days  and  two  nights.  There  was  evidently 


LETTER  TO  SAMUEL  HUNTINGTON.  307 

a  transfer  to  the  brain.  She  became  almost  wild.  I  feared, 
that  in  spite  of  all  I  could  do,  she  would  lose  her  mind.  Her 
great  trouble  was  the  fear  that  our  marriage  would  injure 
my  influence.  Under  this,  her  distress  became  so  great  that 
I  feared  her  cancer  would  break  out,  and  then  there  would 
be  no  hope;  and  she  must  endure  the  most  painful  of  deaths. 

"But,  thank  God,  your  last  letter  set  all  things  right.  O 
Sammy,  how  I  did  love  you  when  I  got  that  last  letter!  We 
both  knelt  down,  and  gave  thanks  to  God  for  that  blessed  let- 
ter. I  did  think  that  my  kind  heavenly  Father  put  it  into 
your  mind  to  write  us  that  letter.  May  he  bless  you  a  thou- 
sand times. 

"But  your  first  letter  led  me  to  a  deep  heart-searching  of 
the  whole  transaction,  and  I  fail  yet  to  see  but  that  I  have 
done  just  right.  I  did  believe  that  God  led  me  to  make  the 
selection  I  did.  I  had  learned  about  the  gossip  concerning 
herj  and  I  went  to  the  proper  source  and  found  that  it  was 
all  false.  I  have  since  seen  a  number  of  the  most  precious 
saints  I  ever  knew,  who  had  been  acquainted  with  her  for 
years,  and  they,  with  one  voice,  pronounced  her  one  of  the 
most  blessed  Christians  of  their  acquaintance.  And  I  believe 
her  to  be  one  of  the  best  Christians  I  ever  knew.  In 
each  place  where  we  have  been,  God  has  given  her 
seals  of  her  mission.  Her  very  large  correspondence, 
reaching  all  over  the  country,  even  to  England,  with 
those  who  have  been  helped  in  their  religious  experiences  by 
her  personal  efforts,  is  to  me  a  consoling  proof  that  God 
owns  her,  and  that  she  is  the  very  one  to  go  with  me  and 
labor  as  she  does  from  house  to  house,  as  well  as  at  church. 
She  is  a  praying,  devoted  woman.  How  I  hqye  wished  that 
her  enemies  could  happen  in  upon  her  devotions  and  listen  to 
the  ardent  prayers  she  offers  for  them. 

"I  regretted  that  it  was  against  her  wishes  for  me  to  be 
open  and  to- state  what  I  had  done,  and  what  I  meant  to  do; 
but  when  I  saw  how  it  affected  her,  I  knew  it  was  best  to 


308  LIKK  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

do  as  I  did.  In  this  I  deceived  nobody,  for  I  was  under  no 
obligations  to  publish  my  moves  and  doings,  as  long  as  I  did 
no  wrong.  I  thought  then,  and  I  still  think,  that  I  was  led 
by  my  heavenly  Father  to  make  the  choice  I  did,  and  espe- 
cially so  after  I  found  that  she  had  been  led  to  devote  her 
life  to  religious  work,  visiting  poor-houses  and  prisons,  the 
sick  and  the  suffering,  distributing  tracts  and  praying  with 
the  people. 

"If  I  hail  time  to  tell  you  the  many  strange  providences 
which  conspired  to  bring  us  together,  and  to  show  you  the 
fruit  of  her  labors,  and  how  happy  we  are  amid  all  our  con- 
flicts, and  the  protection  she  is  to  me  many  times  when  oppos- 
ers  who  neither  fear  God,  nor  man,  nor  the  devil,  but  who 
show  a  little  deference  to  a  woman,  I  think  you  would  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  our  union  is  of  the  Lord. 
"Yours  in  great  affection, 

«J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

WHILE  at  St.  Charles,  Mr.  Redfield  wrote  the  following 
interesting  letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall,  which  was  evi- 
dently designed  to  minister  encouragement  in  the  midst  of 
those  degenerate  times: 

"June  2,  1856. 

"Our  very  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall: — How 
greatly  did  we  rejoice  this  day  in  getting  a  few  lines  from 
you;  and  though  we  sympathize  with  you,  yet  with  you  we 
rejoice  that  your  ties  are  accumulating  in  heaven.  This  may 
startle  you,  but  I  think  I  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  it 
is  not  essential  to  breathe  the  outer  air  to  secure  a  sentient 
immortality.  We  often  look  at  your  very  life  like  pictures, 
and  I  never  see  them  without  a  spring  of  joy,  and  a  kind  of 
sweet  assurance  that  the  originals  have  written  on  their  every 
motive,  Fidelity  to  God.  God  bless  you.  We  do  love  you; 
we  can't  help  it;  and  we  don't  want  to. 

"St.  Charles  has  never  been  truly  broken  up;  and  the 
standard  of  a  genuine,  living,  active,  aggressive  Christianity 
has  never  been  preached  here  until  Brother  Sherman  came. 
Much  yet  remains  to  be  done,  but  I  do  think  it  looks  some- 
what hopeful,  when  pilgrims  dare  to  pass  through  the  streets, 
giving  glory  to  God  with  a  loud  voice. 

"We  would  rejoice  to  be  with  you  at  your  camp  meeting, 
but  we  must  be  in  Green  Bay  city,  Wisconsin,  and  at  a  camp 
meeting  near  there  about  the  I5th  of  June. 

"I  thank  the  Lord  that  you  still  hold  on,  and  press  to- 
wards the  narrowest  of  the  narrow  way.  You  will  see 
great  good,  but  it  will  be  limited.  You  will  be  able  to 
gather  but  little  wheat  among  the  many  tares.  Be  content 
to  be  in  the  minority,  for  you  will  never  triumph ;  but  if 
unflinchingly  faithful,  the  wheat  you  gather  will  be  pure 
wheat.  The  wrong  always  has  been,  and  always  will  be,  in 
22  <«» 


310  LIFE  OF  JOHN  VV.  RKDMELD. 

the  ascendency.  "Many  will  say  Lord,  Lord."  Christ 
alone  will  end  the  contest,  gather  the  little  wheat,  and  burn 
the  many  tares.  But,  oh,  my  heart  says,  Go  on;  go  straight: 
the  salt  of  the  earth,  the  seed  of  the  church,  are  the  martyrs. 
God  will — he  does — bless  you;  I  know  it,  I  feel  it  when  I 
pray  for  you.  *  *  *  *  * 

"I  think  the  pilgrims  will  yet  have  to  organize  a  new 
church,  and  yet  that  will  fail,  if  they  do  not  guard  every 
part  of  the  Discipline  against  hard  feelings  against  their  op- 
pressors. *  *  *  *  The  opponents  of  holiness  will  con- 
quer the  pilgrims  as  long  as  they  remain  in  the  church,  as 
slavery  will  certainly  conquer  in  the  legislation  of  the 
church.  There  is  no  hope  but  in  getting  away  from  so  great 
a  mass  of  corruption. 

"We  must  maintain  the  right  though  in  the  minority.  It 
is  better  that  few  be  really  saved  than  that  many  be  only  half 
saved,  and  be  lost  at  last.  Your  opponents  may  be  silent, 
but  not  dead.  They  will  bide  their  time,  mature  their  plans, 
and  make  you  at  last  feel  their  power. 

"Your  presiding  elder, ,  is  fairly  in    for  it,  and 

must  now  stand  fire.  I  pray  God  that  he  may  stand  firm  for 
the  right.  If  he  keeps  to  the  right,  God  will  see  him  out  in 
the  end,  but  not  now.  Now  he  must  suffer,  but  the  next 
generation  will  see  him  righted.  Above  all,  God  will  approve 
him  at  the  last. 

"Yours  as  ever, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

After  this  meeting  closed,  Mr.  Redfield  spent  a  few  days 
in  Aurora,  a  young  and  flourishing  city  twelve  miles  south. 
Some  of  the  St.  Charles  pilgrims  went  with  him,  and  were 
a  great  help  in  the  services.  Here  quite  a  number,  also, 
entered  into  the  experience  of  perfect  love. 

The  next  trace  we  have  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.    Redfield  is  at 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  KENDALL.  311 

Mackinaw  Island,  recruiting  their  strength   for  the  next  sea- 
son's campaign. 

While  at  Mackinaw,  Mr.  Redfield  writes  the  subjoined 
letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall,  which,  to  many,  will  be  of 
special  interest  because  of  the  views  it  expresses  concern- 
ing the  division  of  the  church  which  he  believed  would 
result  from  the  opposition  the  revival  of  primitive  Meth- 
odism was  destined  to  bring  with  it: 

"MACKINAW,  Mich.,  July  27,  1856. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall: — Your  letter  of  June 
23  reached  us  day  before  yesterday.  While  we  most  deeply 
sympathize  with  you  in  your  affliction,  we  thank  God  and 
take  courage  for  the  assurance  we  have  that  your  faces  are 
still  toward  Mt.  Zion.  The  pamphlet  you  sent  us  is  a  rich 
and  rare  omen  for  good.  It  was  read  by  the  preacher  at  St. 
Charles  before  he  forwarded  it  to  us,  and  from  his  report  I 
believe  it  has  greatly  strengthened  him  to  hold  on  unflinch- 
ingly to  the  right. 

"Now  I  am  no  prophet,  but  I  think  we  will  never  suc- 
ceed in  cleansing  the  church.  God  and  truth  have  always 
been  in  the  minority.  Men  act  out  the  impulses  of  their 
moral  state, — they  always  have,  and  always  will.  You  may, 
if  you  can,  overwhelm  and  check  their  schemes,  by  gaining 
numbers  to  the  cause  of  truth,  but  the  devil  never  was  known 
to  surrender  the  wrong  and  to  contend  for  the  right.  This 
will  always  be  so  as  long  as  a  single  person  is  left  unsaved. 

"Some  ministers  have  never  been  converted;  and  others 
have  backslidden.  None  of  them  can  be  brought  to  appreci- 
ate what  we  know  to  be  right,  until  they  are  saved.  God 
himself  cannot  make  them  love  and  sustain  a  cause  at  which 
their  nature  revolts.  There  are  two  distinct  and  totally  op- 
posite elements  in  the  church,  which  can  never  harmonize 
until  one  gives  way  to  the  other.  There  seems  no  possibility 
of  this.  As  God  lives  there  "is  no  rational  hope  but  in  separa- 
tion ;and  yet  I  would  by  no  means  hoist  the  banner  of  separa- 


312  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

tion,  for  you  cannot  then  keep  out  the  spirit  of  carnal  war- 
fare, and  that  will  be  death  to  spirituality.  If  our  daring 
brethren  will  persistently  hold  on  to  their  plan  of  resuscitat- 
ing Methodist  usages,  and  keep  the  central  idea  of  Jesus  and 
a  full  salvation  before  the  people,  they  will  yet  see  the  day 
when  the  masses  will  be  saved  and  go  with  them,  and  formal- 
ists will  compel  the  separation.  You  have  the  right  men  for 
your  leaders,  and  you  have  more  sympathizers  than  many  of 
you  are  aware  of.  Some  of  these  have  not  the  daring  to 
stand  alone,  or  even  with  a  few  in  a  cause  which  though 
right  is  unpopular.  May  the  Lord  bless  the  faithful  ones. 

"We  are  getting  recruited  for  the  fall  campaign.  We 
have  invitations  to  go  into  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  which, 
the  Lord  willing,  we  will  respond  to  about  the  first  or  the 
middle  of  September. 

"Remember  us  to  Sister  S .     If  it  is  the  Lord's   will 

we  would  be  glad  to  welcome  Sister  Kendall  and  her  to  this 
place.  I  don't  know  what  success  she  will  meet  with  in  her 
application  to  Dr.  Durbin  [missionary  secretary  at  that  time] 
for  a  field  of  labor  on  missionary  ground.  I  have  my  fears 
that  she  will  not  succeed,  but  hope  for  the  best.  However, 
the  will  of  God  be  done.  If  I  had  a  bank,  and  knew  it  was 
the  will  of  God,  I  would  open  up  a  field  in  the  West  where 
she  might  begin  to  work  for  God  at  once. 

"My  dear   wife  says,  'Send  her  my   love,  with    all  my 
heart';  so  you  see  you'll  have  to  come  here  to  bring  it  back. 
"Yours  as  ever, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

Early  in  September  they  left  Mackinaw,  for  Wisconsin. 
After  a  short  visit  with  an  old  friend,  they  went  to  Fond  du 
Lac,  where  a  glorious  work  began.  Here  he  was  greatly 
annoyed  by  the  jealousy  of  the  pastor.  After  vainly  attempt- 
ing to  array  the  members  of  the  church  against  Mr.  Redfield, 
he  wrote  to  the  East  to  find  what  he  could  to  injure  his  influ- 


TEMPTATION  OVERRULED.  313 

ence.  One  of  the  parties  to  whom  he  wrote  informed  Mr. 
Redfield  of  this.  Some  one  communicated  to  this  pastor 
some  rumors  of  Mr.  Redfield's  old  family  trouble,  of  which 
the  most  was  made.  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  him  about  it,  but 
found  him  in  a  warlike  mood,  and  concluded  to  let  it  go. 

Under  great  temptation  to  give  up  the  struggle,  Mr. 
Redfield  left  this  place  with  the  thought  of  looking  up  a 
home,  and  engaging  again  in  his  profession.  But  his  way 
in  that  direction  was  providentially  closed  up,  and  he  turned 
again  to  the  work  of  the  Lord.  He  was  engaged  for  a 

short  time  in  A (probably  Auroraville),  where  he  found 

kind  friends,  and  where  God  came  to  his  help  in  old-time 
power,  and  many  were  saved. 

From  here  he  went  to  New  London,  where  he  found  a 
good,  kind  preacher,  but  a  small  society,  and  only  one,  a 
Quakeress,  to  pray  at  the  altar.  Because  of  this,  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  led  to  invite  forward  only  those  who  would  do 
their  own  praying.  They  did  come,  and  God  blessed  them 
in  great  power. 

From  New  London  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Jefferson, 
Wisconsin,  at  the  invitation  of  a  preacher  whom  he  had 
known  in  the  East,  Rev.  G.  H.  Fox.  Here  the  Spirit  of 
God  had  free  course,  and  blessed  were  the  results. 

While  here  he  received  the  news  of  the  grievous  fall  of 
one  who  had  been  a  strong  advocate  of  holiness.  Several 
allusions  in  some  of  his  letters  which  follow  are  explained 
by  this. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Kendall  family,  dated  at  this  place,  he 
writes: 

"JEFFERSON,  Wisconsin,  December  20,  1856. 

"My  very  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall: — Your 
letter  came  to  hand  yesterday,  confirming  what  I  would  not 
entertain  for  a  moment  before.  Well,  God  would  not  let 
the  Israelites  have  the  body  of  Moses  to  worship,  and,  as 
you  say,  we  must  learn  that  we  cannot  trust  in  any  one  but 


314  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

Jesus.  But  oh,  how  I  feel  for .  I  cannot  hut  believe  if 

all  the  circumstances  of  the  case  were  known,  sympathy  and 
sorrow  would  he  our  prevailing  feelings  towards  him.  I 
wrote  part  of  a  letter  to  him  this  morning,  but  after  reading 
it  over,  I  burned  it.  I  will  try  again.  But  enough  of  this. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  such  good  news  of  Johnny,  as  to  both 
physical  and  spiritual  things.  My  thoughts  often  turn  to  the 
poor  pilgrims.  My  heart  almost  sinks  when  I  hear  that  the 
tried  and  true  are  being  driven  from  the  field,  and  weaken- 
ing the  little  band  who  stand  for  the  right.  Shall  the  enemy 
yet  triumph?  I  am  more  and  more  confirmed  in  the  opinion 
I  expressed  long  ago  that  amputation  alone  will  save  vital 
piety.  It  has  come  to  this,  a  candidate  for  the  presidency  of 
the  United  States,  in  order  to  election,  must  guarantee  the 
people  that  he  will  do  his  best  to  crush  out  the  humanitarian 
spirit  that  inspires  the  abolitionists,  and  offer  premiums  to  its 
opposite;  and  in  some  of  our  conferences  candidates  to  be 
received  into  the  ministry,  instead  of  being  required  to  pledge 
themselves  to  uphold  the  doctrines  and  spirit  of  Methodism, 
are  required,  virtually,  to  oppose  them. 

"Just  take  a  common-sense  view  of  the  facts.  In  con- 
tending for  the  right,  some  will  weary  of  the  conflict,  and 
for  the  sake  of  peace  will  leave  the  field.  Every  instance 
of  this  will  give  fresh  courage  to  the  opponents  of  spiritual 
religion.  Others  will  become  dispirited  and  call  for  a  cessa- 
tion of  the  struggle,  and  when  the  little  band  is  reduced 
small  enough,  they  will  be  surrounded,  and  made  an  easy 
prey.  To  be  in  a  minority  is  to  be  rebellious,  while  to  be  in 
the  majority  is  to  be  loyal.  You  think  that  some  already 
fear  that  you  are  too  fond  of  war.  But  I  ask :  Have  you 
any  selfish  motive  in  this  matter?  Is  it  to  have  your  own 
way  ?  Is  it  not  because  you  sec  the  cause  of  Christ  suffer- 
ing, and  men  perishing?  You  answer:  'Yes.'  Well,  should 
you  not  contend  against  everything  that  wars  against  Christ? 
Whenever  the  church  ceases  to  be  aggressive, — ceases  to  be  a 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  KENDALL.     315 

conquering  power, — she  loses  in  spiritual  life.  No!  no!  dear 
brother  and  sister,  'contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  saints.'  Contend,  at  least,  until  you  are  equal  in 
zeal,  faith,  fidelity,  and  purity  with  the  early  saints;  then  if 
the  Lord  intimates  that  you  may  slack  your  pace,  or  ease  up 
in  your  thoroughness,  you  will  be  at  liberty  to  do  so.  But 
if  you  contend,  not  for  an  improvement,  but  for  the  right, 
you  will  have  battles,  and  all  manner  of  evil  will  be  spoken 
against  you.  Remember,  it  is  of  small  concern  what  men 
may  think  of  you.  The  judgment  day  will  adjust  all  wrongs. 
How  cheering  the  anticipations  of  the  words  from  our 
Father,  'My  child,  you  have  done  right.'  Oh,  that  is  enough ! 
Let  us  fight  on. 

"This  great  West  is  famishing  for  the  bread  of  life.  It 
is  all  hurry  and  bustle,  hastening  to  be  rich.  You  can 
scarcely  turn  without  running  against  a  backslider.  I  went 
out  early  to  build  a  fire  in  the  church  last  evening,  and  in 
came  an  old  backslidden  class-leader  from  Scottsville,  N.  Y., 
all  broken  down,  and  said,  'Sir,  this  is  the  first  time  I  have 
been  in  a  church  in  seven  years.  Myself  and  wife,  and 
children,  are  all  backslidden.  But  if  there  is  any  hope  for 
me,  I  want  to  get  back  to  the  Lord.' 

"There  is  an  awful  spell  on  the  whole  place.  Brother 
Fox  went  into  a  store  the  other  day,  and  as  soon  as  he  spoke 
to  the  first  man,  he  broke  down  and  wept,  and  soon  all  in 
the  store  were  affected  in  like  manner. 

"We  expect  to  go  to  Appleton  about  the  first  or  the 
fifteenth  of  January. 

"You  don't  know  how  I  want  to  see  your  faces  in  the 
flesh  once  more,  and  with  you  have  another  season  of  sal- 
vation and  power.  My  wife  is  being  greatly  blessed.  She 
is  trying  to  do  her  duty.  She  spoke  to  a  man  the  other  day, 
— one  who  is  very  prominent  in  the  church,  and  had  more 
piety  than  all  the  rest, — but  he  became  offended  because  of 
her  close  questions,  and  went  to  Brother  Fox,  and  requested 


316  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIKLD. 

him  to  send  us  away.  But  a  few  nights  after  he  was 
gloriously  blest,  and  confessed  clear  down  to  the  bottom, 
and  now  is  being  used  mightily  to  break  down  others.  He 
has  forgiven  Mattie. 

"The  Lord  knows  I  love  you.  Remember  us  to  all  the 
pilgrims.  "J.  W.  RKDFIELD." 

On  leaving  Jeffersonville,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  Wauke- 
sha,  where  he  found  another  old  friend  in  charge  of  the 
work,  and  who  was  willing  to  let  the  truth  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  have  free  course.  God  came  in  glorious  power,  and 
many  were  saved. 

"Mr.  Redfield  now  made  his  contemplated  visit  to  Apple- 
ton,  Wis.,  the  seat  of  Lawrence  University.  This  was  a 
Methodist  institution,  and  with  the  church,  made  the  place 
a  strong  Methodist  community.  Rev.  William  McDonald, 
now  editor  of  the  Christian  Witness  of  Boston,  and  also 
president  of  the  National  Holiness  Association,  was  pastor 
of  the  church.  Then,  as  now,  he  was  an  earnest  advocate  of 
the  experience  of  entire  sanctification,  and  boldly  stood  by 
Mr.  Redfield's  work.  Among  the  professors  in  the  universi- 
ty, was  Rev.  N.  E.  Cobleigh,  who  afterwards  was  known  as 
a  strong  man  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  Profes- 
sor F.  O.  Blair,  who  was  a  student  in  Middletown,  Connec- 
ticut, at  the  time  of  Mr.  Redfield's  great  meeting  there. 
Mrs.  Blair  was  preceptress  in  the  university,  and  with  her 
husband  entered  heartily  into  the  work  of  saving  souls.  For 
a  long  time,  there  had  been  a  strong  infidel  influence  in  the 
community,  and  in  the  university  an  infidel  club  had  been 
organized  by  some  of  the  students.  Regular  meetings  were 
held,  and  the  members  of  the  club  were  active  in  propagat- 
ing their  opinions.  Christianity  was  unmercifully  ridiculed, 
and  professors  of  religion  were  subject  to  sneers  and  scoffs. 
Just  before  the  revival  opened,  the  faculty  had  forbidden  the 
meetings  of  the  club;  and  about  the  same  time,  Dr.  Cobleigh 
preached  a  sermon  in  which  he  declared  that  personal  experi- 


THE  INFIDEL  CLUB  AND  THE  REVIVAL.  317 

ence  was  the  true  test,  to  eacli  individual,  of  the  truth  and 
reality  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  proposed  to  these  skep- 
tics to  make  an  honest  test  of  the  matter  by  believing  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  An  invitation  was  then  given  them,  to 
come  forward  to  the  altar,  and  several  of  the  most  promi- 
nent came.  Of  course  they  experienced  no  benefit,  and  they 
went  away  boasting  that  they  had  tested  the  matter,  and 
found  there  was  nothing  to  it. 

The  most  aggressive  of  these  skeptics  was  a  young  South 
Carolinian.  He  was  very  intelligent  and  an  excellent  scholar. 
Aside  from  his  infidel  sentiments,  he  was  a  model  young 
man. 

A  daily  prayer  meeting  was  started  in  the  college  at  the 
commencement  of  the  revival  meetings,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  students.  In  one  of  these  this  young  man  arose  and 
declared  that  there  was  not,  nor  could  be  such  a  thing  as 
experimental  religion,  and  that  the  idea  was  a  delusion  and 
a  snare.  Before  he  was  fairly  seated,  Professor  Blair  arose 
and  related  the  story  of  Gallileo  and  the  priests  who  con- 
demned him  for  teaching  that  the  world  moved.  He  de- 
scribed the  scene:  Gallileo  recanting  on  his  knees,  but  as  he 
rises,  whispering  aside  to  a  friend:  "But  it  does  move"  He 
then  remarked,  that  the  truth  of  the  gospel  did  not  depend 
on  the  belief  of  any  man  or  of  the  world  of  mankind.  The 
meeting  then  went  on  without  any  further  interruption. 

The  revival  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  students  that . 
from  that  time  Christianity  was  so  in  the  ascendency  that 
the  skeptical  felt  the  atmosphere  too  uncongenial,  and  one 
after  another  dropped  out  from  the  college  ranks  and  went 
away.  Not  one  of  that  infidel  club  ever  graduated  from 
that  institution. 

The  young  Carolinian  already  described  was  the  last  to 
go.  He  was  a  member  of  a  class  in  mental  philosophy  with 
Professor  Blair  as  instructor.  One  day  he  was  called  upon 
to  recite  a  lesson  wherein  the  author  makes  the  statement, 


3«8  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

and  lays  it  down  as  a  principle,  that  no  one  can  have  any 
knowledge  of  a  sensation,  emotion,  or  feeling  which  he  has 
never  experienced.  He  presented  the  authors  views  clearly 
and  distinctly.  The  professor  then  asked  him:  "Do  you 
think  that  principle  correct?" 

He  answered  promptly,  "I  do." 

"Then  you  think  that  a  person  who  has  never  enjoyed  re- 
ligion can  have  no  knowledge  of  that  experience?" 

The  infidel  paused;  for  he  saw  the  dilemma  this  placed 
him  in,  and  remembered  his  words  spoken  in  the  prayer 
meeting.  A  deep  crimson  blush  rushed  upward  from  his 
collar  over  his  neck  and  face  till  lost  in  his  abundant  hair; 
and  then  he  gasped  out,  "I  suppose  not."  He  never  re- 
covered his  assurance,  and  at  the  close  of  the  term  departed 
never  to  return. 

In  this  meeting  many  were  converted,  and  also  many 
were  sanctified. 

When  the  summer  came  (1857),  Mr.  Redfielcl  made  his 
way  to  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  again.  He  came  in  time  to 
attend  a  camp  meeting,  held  in  June,  near  that  place.  The 
presiding  elder,  Rev.  E.  H.  Gaunnon,  was  a  good  man,  and 
stood  nobly  by  the  work.  He  gave  Mr.  Red  field  the  utmost 
liberty.  On  Friday  evening  he  preached.  A  storm  had 
driven  the  people  into  the  tents.  This  was  before  the  day 
of  large  tabernacles  and  rented  tents.  Each  family  had 
their  own  tent  of  their  own  construction;  except  when 
several  families,  or  a  whole  society,  united  and  occupied  a 
very  large  one.  In  such  a  society  tent,  Mr.  Rcdfield  preached 
on  perfect  love. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  sermon  he  used  the  following 
illustration  of  the  reason  so  many  fail  to  obtain  it.  He  said: 
"An  old  lady  once,  on  reading  the  eleventh  of  St.  Mark 
before  retiring  for  the  night,  said:  'There,  that  is  just  what 
I  want  to  have  done.  Here  is  this  great  hill  between  me 
and  my  neighbor's  house.  I'll  just  ask  the  Lord  to  take  it 


FIFTEEN  PREACHKRS  SANCTIFIED.  319 

away.'  So  down  upon  her  knees  she  went,  and  prayed 
accordingly.  In  the  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  she 
hurried  to  the  window,  and  there  stood  the  hill  where  it  did 
before  she  prayed.  'Well,'  said  she,  'I  thought  it  would  be 
just  so.'"  "So,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "many  pray,  and  when 
the  answer  does  not  come,  they  feel,  'I  thought  it  would  be 
just  so.'  " 

The  meeting  closed,  and  most  of  the  preachers  retired  to 
the  tent  provided  for  them,  and  went  to  bed.  Soon  one  of 
them  asked  the  question:  "What  do  you  think  of  the  doc- 
tor's sermon  ?" 

"It  was  all  right,"  answered  another. 

"If  he  is  right,  we  are  all  wrong,"  said  still  another. 

"If  we  are  wrong,  we  had  better  get  right,"  said  still 
another. 

"I'll  go  at  it  now,  if  you  will,"  said  still  another. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  up  and  dressed  and  on  their 
knees  in  prayer.  Soon  the  people  from  the  tents  were  kneel- 
ing round  the  preachers'  tent,  on  the  outside,  engaged  in 
prayer;  some  of  them  for  their  pastors,  and  some  for  them- 
selves. On  past  midnight  this  impromptu  service  ran.  One 
after  another  of  the  preachers  entered  into  the  experience, 
until  fifteen  were  rejoicing  in  its  possession. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  better  days  for  the  people  of 
God  in  this  section  of  the  country.  In  the  following  winter 
— 1857-1858 — memorable  as  that  of  the  great  revival,  these 
preachers,  all  aflame,  entered  into  the  work  with  a  zeal  born 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  many  were  the  victories  for  Christ, 
strong  and  permanent.  The  work  in  what  was  called  the 
"Fox  River  region"  took  on  a  type  of  thoroughness  and 
clearness  that  made  the  converts  marked  and  distinct  wher- 
ever they  went.  Some  were  called  Redfieldites  who  had 
never  seen  or  heard  of  Mr.  Redfield. 


CHAPTER  L. 

ON  July  4,  1857,  Mr.  Redficld  wrote  the  following 
letter,  which  indicates  that  hostility  to  vital  godliness  was 
becoming  more  intense  and  general  throughout  the  church, 
and  that  his  own  long-deferred  hope  of  reformation  without 
separation  was  rapidly  giving  way: 

"My  very  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall: — God  and  my 
own  soul  only  know  what  drawings  I  feel  towards  you,  and 
how  it  rejoices  my  heart  to  hear  from  you  once  more.  How 
gladly  would  I  go  almost  any  distance  to  see  you!  Your 
fame  has  spread  even  to  Wisconsin,  and  among  the  preachers 
you  are  regarded  as  the  offscouring  of  the  earth.  Praise  the 
Lord!  The  Buffalo  and  Western  Advocates  have  put  their 
mark  upon  you.  Bless  the  Lord!  I  have  shown  the  Medina 
paper,  you  sent  me,  to  some  of  the  preachers,  and  I  think 
some  of  them  are  getting  their  eyes  open.  It  is  with  much 
tribulation  we  must  enter  the  kingdom.  With  my  whole 
heart  I  can  say,  I  believe  you  and  those  who  stand  with  you 
are  the  representatives  of  primitive  Christianity  and  early 
Methodism.  My  soul  says,  The  Lord  bless  and  keep  you 
to  the  end.  Bonds  and  afflictions  await  you,  and  every  one 
who  dares  to  merge  every  interest  in  God's  will.  I  often 
inquire,  Will  the  pilgrims  hold  out?  or  will  they  be  dis- 
heartened, and  finally  give  up  the  contest,  and  be  content 
with  saving  themselves,  and  let  others  go  to  perdition?  I 
am  sure  that  they  who  have  arrayed  themselves  against  you 
will  never  cease  their  hostility  till  they  put  you  down.  If 
they  succeed,  where  is  the  hope  of  the  church?  God  only 
knows  how  sorrow  fills  my  soul  when  I  look  at  the  gloomy 
prospect.  'By  whom  shall  Jacob  arise?  for  he  is  small.' 
Will  Brothers  M'Creery,  and  Roberts,  and  Kendall,  and 
others  grow  weary,  and  say,  What  is  the  use  of  the  unequal 
contest?  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  that  it  is  duty  to 

(820) 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  KENDALL.     321 

prepare  for  a  separate  organization,  which,  if  judiciously 
pursued,  will  build  up  a  church,  in  the  midst  of  severe  perse- 
cutions, perhaps,  yet  a  church  that  will  bless  the  world,  and 
compel  the  opponents  of  vital  godliness  to  feel  their  de- 
ficiencies as  now  they  cannot.  But,  of  course,  you  know 
your  own  duty.  My  prayer  is,  that  God  may  direct  you. 

"It  sometimes  seems  strange  that  God  does  not  come  to 
your  rescue,  if  you  are  in  the  right;  and  in  some  unmistak- 
able manner  demonstrate  that.  But  I  remember  that  God 
must  protect  the  free  agency  of  man,  and  then  hold  him 
responsible  for  results.  He  permitted  his  ancient  prophets 
to  be  slain.  He  permitted  the  papacy  to  clothe  the  church 
in  sackcloth  for  1200  years.  So  it  has  been  from  the 
beginning,  and  probably  will  be  until  the  end  of  time. 

"But  may  not  great  good  come  to  them  who  endure, 
though  painful  it  may  be?  It  hurts  the  penitent  sinner  to 
humble  down  and  confess  his  sins,  and  then  accept  the 
humble  Nazarene.  It  hurts  the  convert  to  sacrifice  all, 
and  become  a  whole  burnt  offering  on  the  altar  of  God, 
before  he  can  be  sanctified.  It  hurts  to  have  those,  who 
have  been  your  friends,  drop  off  one  by  one,  because  they 
cannot  risk  their  reputations  to  defend  you.  Here  we  must 
often  stand  alone,  with  none  but  Jesus  who  dares  to  own  us: 
We  may  have  to  stand  with  the  Marys,  and  see  Jesus 
wounded  in  the  house  of  his  friends,  and  be  unable  to  help 
him.  A  word,  or  a  tear,  or  a  groan  in  his  favor,  may  cause 
them  to  strike  him  the  harder  and  deeper.  They  may  strike 
you  down  until  you  seek  a  place  of  solitude  where  you  may 
weep  out  your  sorrow  alone;  but  to  see  them  strike  your 
Lord,  who  can  endure  it? 

"May  I  say,  I  see  all  this  in  the  distance  as  your  cup? 
What  if  M'Creery,  and  Roberts,  and  Hard  should  shrink 
from  the  bootless  task,  and  strong  hands  should  be  laid  on 
you  to  put  you  out  of  the  conference?  Will  you  and  your 
dear  wife  stand  for  God,  and  trust  Elijah's  ravens  for  your 


322  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFJELD. 

supplies?     Oh,  my   heart  is  full!      May  the  suffering  Jesus 

be  with  you. 

"Yours, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

The  following  letter,  written  by  a  personal  friend, 
will  further  show  what  influences  were  at  work  in  opposition 
to  a  revival  of  primitive  Christianity,  and  will  also  be  of  in- 
terest as  showing  the  personal  character  of  the  man  himself. 

Mr.  Kendall  was  serving  the  Chili,  N.  Y.,  circuit  at  this 
time,  a  strong  country  charge,  and  one  where  he  had  brave 
friends  to  stand  by  him. 

"CniLi,  Aug.  21,  1857. 

"Dear  Brother  Phelps: — Since  I  saw  you  I  have  been  at 
two  camp  meetings — on  Niagara  District  and  at  Wyoming. 
At  the  former,  the  doctrine  that  we  are  entirely  sanctified  at 
conversion  was  boldly  proclaimed.  Brother  Wm.  Cooley 
requested  me  to  exhort  in  his  place,  and  set  the  matter  right. 
I  occupied  forty-five  minutes  in  trying  to  do  so,  while  the 
Regency  preachers  prayed  God  to  have  mercy  upon  me.  I 
felt  a  good  conscience  all  through. 

"At  Wyoming  camp  meeting  I  preached  on  the  same 
subject.  Brother  Abell  arose,  as  soon  as  I  was  through,  and 
backed  what  I  said.  The  presiding  elder  and  two  preachers 
then  exhorted  against  me,  after  which  Brother  B.  W.  Gorham, 
of  the  Guide  to  Holiness,  stood  by  me  and  the  truth  nobly, 
for  which  the  presiding  elder,  as  soon  as  the  service  closed, 
took  him  off  into  the  woods.  Some  of  the  preachers  roar 
against  me  "like  the  bulls  of  Bashan."  I  know  not  but  they 
will  gore  me,  tear  the  ground,  or  something,  at  the  conference. 
I  do  not  expect  to  remain  at  Chili.  I  go  to  conference,  not 
knowing  what  will  befall  me  there;  nor  do  I  trouble  myself 
at  all.  Naught  can  harm  me  while  I  abide  in  Christ. 
"Your  militant  brother, 

"W.  C.  KENDALL." 


A  PERSECUTED  BAND.  223 

But  the  conspirators  were  already  at  work,  plotting  and 
planning  against  these  men.  When  conference  came,  Ken- 
dall, talented,  successful,  and  beloved  by  the  humble  and 
spiritual,  was  confronted  by  a  bill  of  charges,  and  only 
escaped  trial  for  lack  of  time;  then  was  sent  to  West  Falls 
circuit,  "the  whipping  post"  of  the  conference. 

B.  T.  Roberts  was  tried  on  a  charge  of  unchristian  con- 
duct, and,  not  being  allowed  to  defend  himself  with  testi- 
mony, was  declared  guilty,  sentenced  to  be  reprimanded  by 
the  bishop,  and  then  sent  from  Albion,  a  strong  station,  to  a 
country  village, 

Joseph  McCreery  was  treated  in  like  manner. 

When  the  bishop  concluded  the  reading  of  the  appoint- 
ments, for  a  moment  the  pilgrims  hung  their  heads  in  sorrow 
at  this  manifestation  of  the  bitter  spirit  of  their  persecutors. 
The  bishop  called  for  a  verse  of  song,  and  Kendall,  with  a 
full  and  steady  voice  led  off  with : — 

"Come,  on  my  partners  in  distress, 
My  comrades  through  this  wilderness, 

Who  still  your  bodies  feel; 
Awhile  forget  your  griefs  and  fears, 
And  look  beyond  this  vale  of  tears, 

To  that  celestial  hill." 

The  bishop  was  about  to  pray,  but  Kendall  sang  on, 

"Beyond  the  bounds  of  time  and  space, 
Look  forward  to  that  heavenly  place, 

The  saints'  secure  abode. 
On  faith's  strong  eagle  pinions  rise, 
And  force  your  passage  to  the  skies, 
And  scale  the  mount  of  God." 

Again  the  bishop  was  about  to  kneel  for  prayer,  but 
Brother  Kendall  continued  to  sing: — 

"Who  suffer  with  our  Master  here, 

We  shall  before  his  face  appear, 

And  by  his  side  sit  down. 


324  .       LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

To  patient  faith  the  prize  is  sure; 
And  all  that  to  the  end  endure 

The  cross,  shall  wear  the  crown." 

By  this  time  every  head  of  the  persecuted  band  was  up, 
and  as  they  sang  they  believed,  and  hope  grew  strong.  Some 
fell  to  the  floor;  some  shouted  aloud,  while  Brother  Kendall's 
voice  continued  still  to  make  the  auditorium  ring  with 
heavenly  melody,  as  he  sang: — 

"Thrice  blessed  bliss-inspiring  hope, 
It  lifts  the  fainting  spirits  up, 

It  brings  to  life  the  dead. 
Our  conflicts  here  shall  soon  be  past, 
And  you  and  I  ascend  at  last, 
Triumphant  with  our  Head. 

"That  great  mysterious  deity, 
We  soon  with  open  face  shall  see; 

The  beatific  sight, 

Shall  fill  the  heavenly  courts  with  praise, 
And  wide  diffuse  the  golden  blaze, 
Of  everlasting  light." 

The  bishop  then  prayed,  the  doxology  was  sung,  the 
benediction  pronounced,  and  the  pilgrim  preachers  went  to 
their  appointments  without  a  sigh. 

In  the  following  letter,  Mr.  Kendall  describes  his  new 
circuit. 

"WEST  FALLS,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 

"Sept.  1 6,  1857. 

"Dear  Brother  Roberts: — I  find  myself  on  my  new  field. 
Four  or  five  appointments — no  parsonage — one  prayer  meet- 
ing— some  fifty  or  sixty  members;  and  they  have  been  giv- 
ing their  preacher  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  live  upon. 
The  starvation  system  is  in  full  blast  in  my  case.  I  shall 
have  a  good  year,  however^  if  I  have  any  year.  One  ap- 
pointment is  within  ten  miles  of  Buffalo;  and  I  have  serious 
thoughts  of  establishing  one  within  the  heart  of  the  city  its- 


A  LETTER  TO  B.  T.  ROBERTS.  325 

self.  God  may  have  designed,  by  my  appointment,  to  pour 
out  a  vial  of  wrath  or  mercy  on  the  seat  of  the  beast.  I  in- 
tend to  watch  the  openings  of  providence,  and  to  enter  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

"I  think  of  you  often,  and  fear  lest  you  will  be  discour- 
aged in  view  of  the  state  of  things.  The  Regency  pressed 
you  hard  in  LeRoy ;  but  it  was  not  you  they  were  after,  but 
the  blessed  Jesus.  I  never  realized  the  corrupt  state  of  our 
conference  as  when  we  were  voting  on  your  case.  Such 
combination  to  crush  a  brother  I  did  not  suppose  could  be 
with  us.  As  you  said  on  the  conference  floor,  'Some  of  us 
will  die  hard.'  Don't  be  discouraged,  brother;  we  have  not 
suffered  much  yet.  As  you  said  to  me  on  the  night  of  your 
sentence  and  execution,  'It  is  an  honor  to  be  denounced  by 
those  men.'  Such  bribery  as  they  practiced  is  a  disgrace  to 
any  set  of  men  who  make  no  pretense  to  religion.  But  I 
must  stop,  or  my  head  will  be  off  next. 

"I  spent  the  Sabbath  after  conference  in  LeRoy.  Broth- 
er   asked  me  to  preach,  after  consultation  with  A.  P.  R., 

and  to  preach  the  first  sermon.  I  had  a  very  good  time.  The 
Lord  blessed  me.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  willed  that  I 
should  spend  that  day  in  LeRoy.  McE.  invited  Mrs.  K.  and 
myself  home  to  dinner  with  him,  and  treated  me  as  respect- 
fully as  he  knew  how.  Brother  Shepard,  a  class-leader,  said 
in  class  that  he  did  not  know  the  brother  who  preached;  but 
if  that  was  Nazaritism,  he  was  a  Nazarite.  R.  cautioned  the 
people  to  'beware  of  troublers.'  Brother  Colton  was  very 
friendly.  Brother  Anderson,  just  as  McE.  was  about  to 
pronounce  the  benediction,  cried  out,  'Brother  Kendall  will 
preach  in  the  Congregational  church  at  five  o'clock,  the  Lord 
willing.'  The  house  was  well  filled,  and  we  had  another 
good  time,  and  followed  the  sermon  with  a  sort  of  love-feast. 
The  N s  are  becoming  popular  in  LeRoy. 

"I  expect  you,  Brother  McC.  and  Brother  Cooley  will 
see  to  the  pilgrims  in  that  northern  region.  Brother  Colton 


326  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RE  OKI  ELD. 

said,  an  Monday  morning,  as  I  was  about  to  leave,  that  he 
thought  Brother  Roberts  and  myself  ought  to  go  through 
the  conference  holding  meetings.  Indeed,  I  was  almost  per- 
suaded, as  they  did  not  locate  me,  to  locate  myself,  and  be 
free  to  go  everywhere,  preaching  Jesus.  We  must  circulate, 
as  much  as  possible,  among  the  people.  God  will  give  us 
this  land  yet.  I  give  the  Regency  fair  warning,  the  Lord 
helping,  I  will  do  my  duty  to  them  this  year.  My  address  is 
as  above.  Write  if  you  have  a  mind. 

"Yours,  through  the  war, 

"W.  C.  KENDALL." 

On  Nov.  5,  Mr.  Kendall  also  wrote  in  another  letter  as 
follows: 

"Dear  Brother  Phelps: —  *  *  *  *  You  speak  of 
our  being  scattered,  and  exhort  me  to  keep  up  courage.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  it  is  as  I  told  some  of  my  people;  I  was 
sent  here  to  be  whipped  and  starved,  but  I  don't  expect  to  re- 
ceive either.  I  have  five  appointments,  and  preach  three 
times  each  Sabbath.  There  is  no  pastor  of  any  denomination 
living  within  the  bounds  of  my  parish.  I  preach  in  four 
comfortable  meeting-houses — two  of  them  Methodist,  one 
Union;  the  fourth  is  owned  by  twelve  sinners.  Abundance 
of  work — scarcely  any  religion,  only  one  choir  to  bother. 
No  revival  has  been  here  for  years.  My  health  is  good — 
my  courage,  also. 

"We  have  just  had  our  first  quarterly  meeting — a  very 
good  season.  One  soul  soundly  converted — a  little  of  the 
first  fruits.  A  few  were  a  little  displeased  on  finding  the 
door  closed,  they  being  late  to  love-feast.  The  love-feast 
was  a  blessed  season.  Many  saw  the  benefit  of  the  Meth- 
odist rule.  *  *  *  * 

"Your  brother  to  the  end  of  the  war, 

"W.  C.  KENDALL." 


MR.  KENDALL'S  DEATH.  327 

This  was  Mr.  Kendall's  last  appointment.  In  the  midst 
of  a  glorious  revival,  he  sickened  and  died.  His  death  was 
one  of  the  most  triumphant.  A  short  time  before  his  de- 
parture, he  said:  "I've  been  swimming  for  two  days  in  the 
waters  of  death,  and  they  are  like  sweet  incense  all  over 
me."  Waving  his  hands  in  holy  triumph,  he  repeated  the 
lines : — 

"Bright  angels  are  from  glory  come; 
They're  round  my  bed,  they're  in  my  room ; 
They  wait  to  waft  my  spirit  home — 
All  is  well," 

and  passed  away  to  that  better  land,  where  "the  wicked 
cease  from  troubling  and  the  weary  are  at  rest." 

The  day  of  his  funeral  the  pilgrim  preachers  gathered 
around  his  remains,  and  clasping  hands  above  them,  vowed 
fidelity  to  God. 

It  is  said  of  this  blessed  man,  that  he  was  one  of  nature's 
noblemen  in  every  way.  A  large,  strong  body,  a  frank  and 
noble  face  —  the  radiance  of  which  has  smitten  sinners 
with  conviction  — r  broad  and  well- cultivated  mind,  and  a 
large  heart.  To  know  him  was  to  love  him;  to  be 
with  him,  was  to  be  rebuked  for  sin,  and  to  be  moved 
towards  Christ.  Joyous,  buoyant,  faithful,  untiring  in 
zeal,  he  wrought  amid  fierce  persecutions  which  followed 
him  to  the  grave.  His  friends  were  of  the  choicest, 
purest,  the  most  devoted.  His  enemies  were  the  worldly, 
the  carnal,  the  time-serving,  and  the  untrue.  His  bitterest 
enemies  fought  him  while  he  lived,-and  eulogized  him  after 
he  was  dead. 

The  venerable  Father  Coleman  once  said  to  the  writer: 
"I  knew  him ;  and  such  a  face  as  his  I  never  saw  before.  I 
think  he  was  the  sweetest,  faithful  man  I  ever  knew." 


CHAPTER  LI. 

IN  December,  1857,  we  find  Mr.  Redfield  in  St.  Charles, 
Illinois,  again,  endeavoring  to  break  through  the  crust  of 
which  he  spoke  in  a  former  letter;  but  for  some  reason, 
never  explained,  he  was  unable  to  reach  the  signal  victory 
here,  which  he  experienced  in  other  places.  A  few  were 
saved,  the  pilgrims  strengthened,  while  those  in  the  church 
who  resisted  the  light,  settled  into  a  deeper  hostility  to  the 
doctrine  and  experience  of  holiness. 

On  the  2  ist  of  December,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Brother 
and  Sister  Kendall,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy : 

«Sr.  CHARLES,  111. 

"My  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kendall: — We  received 
your  very  welcome  letter  before  we  started  for  this  place. 
How  glad  we  were  once  more  to  hear  from  you!  We  had 
heard  from  you  and  many  of  the  pilgrims  through  Brother 

J.  D.  R ,  a  few  weeks  ago;  and  now  and  then  we  get  a 

little  information  through  Eastern  papers,  which  give  us  a 
little  clue  of  what  is  going  on.  But  we  want  to  see  you,  if 
the  Lord  permit. 

"We  are  now  on  our  way  to  a  southern  clime — Texas, 
probably — where  we  wish  if  possible  to  find  a  place  for  a 
colony,  where  we  can  establish  a  type  of  salvation  which  will 
live.  We  think  that  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred  will  go  between  this  spring  and  next  fall- 
Among  them  will  be  a  number  of  preachers,  and  most  of  the 
remainder  will  be  Methodists.  We  shall  only  invite  those 
who  have  a  living  religion.  I  go  to  select,  if  I  can,  from 
ten  to  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land,  in  a  body  in  some  eligible 
location,  this  to  be  distributed  among  the  colonists.  A 
prominent  object  is  to  get  a  location  where  invalids  like 
Mattie  will  be  likely  to  gain  health,  more  surely  than  in 
northern  latitudes.  What  information  I  have  with  respect 

(828) 


RUNS  INTO  SOME  OLD  ROOTS.  329 

to  Texas  is,  the  climate  is  most  delightful,  fully  equal  to  the 
best  portions  of  California. 

"We  have  been  holding  meetings  here,  and  have  seen 
some  as  powerful  conversions  as  I  ever  knew.  But  our  plow 
has  run  into  some  old  roots,  of  from  five  to  twenty  years  old. 
We  tugged,  and  ground,  put  on  more  team,  and  cut  our  way 
through,  until  some  thought  we  had  got  through  all.  But 
I  think  there  is  more  yet,  and  may  be  worse  than  any  we 
have  yet  seen.  Whether  we  can  force  our  way  clear  through 
is  more  than  I  can  tell.  Mattie  is  afraid  to  have  me  press 
it  through,  but  I  have  no  fears  for  myself,  and  would  sooner 
run  under  than  leave  the  work  half  done.  How  we  shall 
succeed  remains  to  be  seen. 

"We  expect  to  leave  hei'e  by  the   middle  of  January,  and 
I  wish  to  hear  from  you  once  more  before  then. 
"Yours  in  love, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

An  appendix  to  this  letter,  written  by  Mrs.  Redfield, 
says  they  had  been  in  St.  Charles  three  weeks.  God  had 
been  with  them  in  power.  Quite  a  number  had  been  con- 
verted. She  refers  to  the  troubles,  and  thinks  the  preacher 
in  charge  ought  to  take  hold  of  them,  and  not  leave  so  much 
for  Mr.  Redfield. 

This  preacher  in  charge  was  Rev.  Charles  French,  a 
good  man,  who  loved  God  and  the  truth,  and  was  in  hearty 
sympathy  with  an  earnest  salvation.  He  remained  a  firm 
friend  to  Mr.  Redfield  for  years. 

How  soon  the  visionary  scheme,  described  by  him  in  the 
last  letter  was  given  up,  there  is  nothing  to  show;  but  this  is 
the  first  and  the  last  trace  of  it  to  be  found. 

About  the  first  of  January  he  went  to  Elgin,  Illinois. 
The  pastor  was  Rev.  C.  M.  Woodward,  who  knew  many 
of  the  ministers  in  the  Genesee  Conference,  of  which  he  had 
been  a  member.  He  knew  much  of  Mr.  Red  field's  work  in 


330  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

the  East,  and  was  prepared  to  receive  him  here.  The  notion 
that  it  was  best  to  keep  the  control  of  the  services  in  his  own 
hands,  as  preacher  in  charge,  was  somewhat  in  Mr.  Redfield's 
way,  as  the  latter's  experience  in  revival  work  enabled  him 
to  surmount  difficulties,  where  others  knew  not  what  to  do. 
In  this  meeting  Mr.  Redfield  did  the  preaching  and  invited 
seekers  to  the  altar,  but  Mr.  Woodward  managed  the  prayer 
service.  Mr.  Redfield's  success  was  due  largely  to  his  skill- 
ful management  of  seekers  at  the  altar. 

The  work  moved  slowly  at  first,  but  after  a  little,  it  be- 
gan to  take  hold  of  the  membership.  Quite  a  number  of 
them  entered  into  the  experience  of  perfect  love.  But  there 
was  no  general  break  among  sinners. 

While  engaged  at  Elgin,  Mr.  Redfield  was  visited  by 
Mr.  M.  L.  Hart,  of  Marengo,  a  village  twenty-five  miles 
away,  at  the  instance  of  the  official  board  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  to  request  him  to  assist  in  a  revival  at  that  place. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  had  been  somewhat  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Redfield's  labors  in  the  East,  and  when  they  heard  of  his  be- 
ing in  Elgin,  they  recommended  him  to  the  Marengo 
church.  He  consented  to  go,  on  condition  that  the  official 
board  would  allow  him  the  liberty  to  preach  according  to  the 
Bible  and  the  Methodist  Discipline.  On  Mr.  Hart's  return, 
a  meeting  of  the  board  was  called,  and  a  motion  to  invite  Mr. 
Redfield  on  his  own  conditions  was  unanimously  adopted. 
Mr.  Redfield  on  learning  of  this  determined  to  go  as  soon 
as  he  could  leave  Elgin.  In  the  midst  of  this  he  received  a 
telegram  as  he  entered  the  church  one  Saturday  evening,  that 
his  friend,  William  C.  Kendall,  was  lying  at  the  point  of 
death.  After  the  service  Sunday  night  he  wrote  the  follow- 
ing letter: 

"ELGIN,  111.,  12:30,  Sunday  Night. 

"My  dear  Brother  an<J  Sister  Kendall: — I  received  your 
dispatch  while  going  into  church  last  night.  And  as  there 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  KENDALL.  331 

was  no  mail  or  train  until  Monday  afternoon,  it  afforded  me 
time  to  think  and  pray  over  the  matter.  Brother  Wood- 
ward had  already  left  for  Marengo,  to  fill  my  appointment 
there  until  I  came,  that  I  might  stay  here  over  the  Sabbath. 
I  laid  the  matter  before  the  Lord  last  night,  and  in  great 
distress  of  mind,  I  asked:  'What  shall  I  do?'  When  I  thought 
of  the  work  of  God,  and  of  your  sickness,  I  said:  'We 
cannot  spare  Brother  Kendall.'  Then  I  said:  'Lord,  tell 
me  which  way  I  shall  go';  and  a  sweet,  blessed  influence 
came  over  me,  which  seemed  to  say:  'You  attend  to  God's 
business,  and  he  will  attend  to  Brother  Kendall  better  than 
you  can.'  And  I  feel  at  perfect  rest  when  I  trust  Brother 
Kendall  in  his  hands. 

"Elgin  has  about  3,000  people,  and  it  is  said  they  have 
never  known  such  power  as  we  have  in  our  meetings.  And 
there  is  a  fear  that  if  I  leave  it  will  go  down.  This  night 
we  have  had  one  of  the  most  awful  and  glorious  times.  The 
straight  way  of  holiness  has  most  signally  triumphed.  To- 
morrow I  must  go  to  Marengo,  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
here.  The  preacher  there  is  used  up>  can  preach  no  more, 
and  must  have  help.  Here  they  are  pressing  me  to  stay. 
There  they  say  I  may  go  the  straight  way.  There  are  also 
two  other  places  awaiting  me;  one  twenty  miles  south,  and 
the  other  at  Galena,  a  city  of  10,000  or  12,000  people.  Amid 
these  calls  and  promises  to  let  God  have  a  fair  chance,  to- 
gether with  what  we  now  have,  you  may  well  judge  of  the 
rack  on  which  my  mind  was  cast  by  your  dispatch. 

"All  I  can  get  from  the  Lord  is:  'Keep  at  work,  and  I'll 
take  care  of  Brother  Kendall.'  I  fear  to  get  out  of  God's 
order,  and  it  seems  to  me  to  be  his  order  that  I  confine  my 
labors  at  present  to  Marengo  and  Elgin.  I  feel  at  rest  about 
you,  some  way.  You  know  I  had  got  started  for  the  South, 
but  as  this  door  opened,  I  felt  I  must  risk  Mattie's 
health,  and  she  is  now  better.  This,  to  me,  is  another  evi- 
dence that  I  am  in  the  right  field  for  the  present. 


332  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"You  did  not  state  what  is  the  matter  with  Brother  Ken- 
dall. Write  to  me  at  Marengo. 

"I  feel  wonderfully  at  rest  in  regard  to  Brother  Kendall. 
It  doesn't  seem  as  though  the  Lord  would  take  him  to  glory 
yet.  I  could  die  for  him,  and  nothing  but  the  strong  impres- 
sion of  duty  keeps  me  here.  If  it  were  not  for  that,  I  would 
take  the  first  train  to  come  to  you. 

"Glory  to  God,  all  is  well.     Hallelujah! 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

When  Mr.  Redfield  arrived  at  Marengo,  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  listen  to  the  religious  testimonies  of  some  of 
the  membership,  and  saw  that  it  would  take  very  thorough 
work  to  give  the  stamp  of  piety  that  was  needed  in  that 
place.  It  was  also  evident  that  a  large  portion  of  those  who 
had  professed  to  be  converted  knew  but  little  about  religious 
experience.  In  his  first  sermon  he  endeavored  to  show  that 
it  was  the  privilege  of  Christians  to  live  in  the  land  of 
Beulah  constantly.  This  so  shocked  some  of  the  member- 
ship that  they  could  scarcely  endure  him  from  that  time. 
One  member  of  the  official  board  has  informed  the  writer, 
that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  pledge  that  they  would  let 
Mr.  Redfield  go  straight  on  the  Bible  and  Discipline,  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  have  gained  their  consent  to  let 
him  continue.  They  never  had  heard  the  truth  presented  in 
that  way  before. 

General  Superintendent  E.  P.  Hart,  of  the  Free  Methodist 
Church,  son  of  the  M.  L.  Hart  who  bore  the  request  to  Mr. 
Redfield  to  come  to  Marengo,  says: 

"I  had  professed  religion  during  the  meetings  that  had 
been  held  previous  to  the  Doctor's  coming,  but  I  knew 
scarcely  anything  of  real  religion.  I  had  heard  father  and 
mother  speak  of  the  Doctor  in  such  strong  terms,  and  such 
wonderful  reports  had  come  to  us  of  the  meetings  at  Elgin, 
that  I  was  full  of  expectation  of  listening  to  marvelous 


REVIVAL  AT  MARENGO,  ILL.  333 

eloquence.  I  went  to  a  friend  and  relative  of  mine,  a  lawyer 
by  the  name  of  Rogers,  and  invited  him  to  go  with  me  and 
listen  to  the  wonderful  man.  I  became  very  anxious  that 
Rogers  should  be  favorably  impressed,  and  remarked  as  we 
approached  the  church,  'He  may  be  a  little  embarrassed  to- 
night, as  he  is  a  total  stranger,  and  may  not  do  as  well  as 
when  he  becomes  better  acquainted.'  When  we  got  inside 
the  church,  I  found  it  very  difficult  to  get  Rogers  a  seat,  and 
was  obliged  to  take  one  of  the  pulpit  steps  for  myself.  As 
soon  as  the  Doctor  commenced,  I  forgot  all  about  Rogers. 
My  hopes  of  heaven  were  all  swept  away  by  the  truth,  and 
from  that  time  I  could  not  conscientiously  profess  religion. 
The  Doctor  had  taken  tea  at  our  house,  and  now  went  home 
with  us  to  tarry  for  the  night.  As  soon  as  we  had  got  seated 
around  the  stove,  after  our  return,  he  asked  me  how  I 
enjoyed  the  meeting.  I  replied,  'Oh,  very  well;  I  am  not 
used  to  quite  so  much  noise.' 

"'My  brother,'  said  he,  'has  the  Lord  made  you  ear 
inspector  of  this  community?' 

"This  settled  me,  as  far  as  that  was  concerned,  but  I  did 
not  get  out  into  a  good  experience  until  long  after  the  pro- 
tected meeting  closed." 

This  revival  swept  the  town  and  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. People  came  from  five  to  twenty  miles  in  their  own 
conveyances,  and  often  the  house  would  be  well  filled  an 
hour  and  a  half  before  the  time  for  service.  Many  were 
converted  in  their  wagons  on  their  way  home.  The  number 
converted  has  been  estimated  at  from  four  to  five  hundred. 
Every  whisky -shop  in  the  place  was  closed,  and  many  of 
the  worst  of  people  were  converted.  Large  numbers  were 
entirely  sanctified,  and  a  light  was  kindled  that  has  never 
gone  out.  Many  have  died,  who  were  saved  in  that  meet- 
ing, who  honored  God  while  they  lived,  and  who  triumphed 
gloriously  in  their  last  moments. 

Among  the  many  trophies  of  divine  grace  was  that  of  the 


334  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REPFIKKD. 

village  drayman,  a  man  by  tbc  name  of  Boyington.  lie  was 
very  wicked  and  blasphemous.  When  he  was  saved  he  be- 
came more  remarkable  for  his  piety.  Endowed  with  re- 
markable good  sense,  and  with  a  quaintness  of  expression 
peculiarly  his  own,  he  was  always  interesting,  whether  in 
private  conversation,  or  in  public  testimony.  He  lived  for 
about  twenty-five  years,  a  monument  of  mercy,  and  then  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus. 

A  physician  by  the  name  of  Richardson  entered  into  the 
experience  of  perfect  love,  and  though  rejected  by  the  con- 
ference, when  he  applied  for  work,  was  taken  to  Minnesota, 
by  a  visiting  presiding  elder,*  and  given  employment.  He 
became  very  successful,  and  was  made  a  great  blessing  to 
the  church  and  the  world. 

As  at  St.  Charles,  so  here,  there  were  a  number  of  deeply 
experienced  Christians,  who  quickly  recognized  the  work  of 
God,  and  who  rallied  around  Mr.  Redfield,  and  gave  great 
aid  to  the  work.  One  of  these  was  "Mother  Cobb,"  who 
for  many  years  was  the  only  living  witness  to  the  experience 
of  perfect  love  in  all  those  parts.  She  had  then  walked  in 
the  steady  light  of  it  for  more  than  forty  years.  She  lived 
for  nearly  twenty  more  in  the  light  of  that  experience,  when 
God  took  her  home.  Another  was,  "Mother  Combs,"  a 
woman  of  deep  piety,  clear  understanding,  and  consistent  life. 
Another  was,  the  mother  of  Superintendent  Hart.  She  had 
been  led  into  the  experience  by  Rev.  James  Caughey. 

The  pastor  of  the  church  was  no  help  to  the  work,  and 
providentially  kept  away.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing he  was  arraigned  before  the  presiding  elder  on  a  charge 
of  drunkenness.  He  soon  after  went  to  one  of  the  frontier 
states  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law. 

One  of  the  results  of  this  meeting  was  the  starting  of  a 
Monday  evening  holiness  meeting  at  the  home  of  a  brother 
Bishop,  several  miles  out  in  the  country,  that  was  sustained 

•Rev.  D.  D.  Cobb. 


LETTER  OF  CONDOLENCE  TO  MRS.  KENDALL.     335 

through  summer  and  winter  for  several  years.  It  was  noth- 
ing unusual  for  people  to  come  from  six  to  nine  miles  to  that 
meeting,  and  return  the  same  night.  Many  were  converted 
and  many  were  sanctified  in  those  meetings. 

During  this  revival  meeting,  the  news  came  of  the  death 

of  Mr.   Kendall.     The    following  is   Mr.   R 's  letter  of 

condolence  to  Mrs.  Kendall: 

"MARENGO,  Til.,  Feb.  22,  1858. 

"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — I  cannot  realize  that  our 
dear  fellow  laborer  is  really  reaping  his  reward  in  heaven.  I 
could  not  make  it  seem  possible,  that  one  so  faithful,  and  so 
honored  of  God,  could  be  spared.  I  did  not  feel  that  God 
would  take  him  so  soon.  But  there  must  have  been  the  best 
of  reasons  why  our  heavenly  Father  took  him  up  to  the  so- 
ciety of  the  glorified.  He  is  now  associated  with  the  sainted 
Fletcher,  whom  he  much  resembled.  Brother  Kendall's  face 
came  up  before  me  in  a  remarkable  manner  two  or  three 
hours  before  I  received  your  dispatch,  and  during  the  evening 
after.  I  deeply  mourn  with  you  over  your  loss.  I  am  per- 
suaded that  angels  are  rejoicing  over  his  arrival  among  them. 

I  pray  that  his  mantle  may  fall  on  me.  From  Sister  S 's 

letter,  I  judge  that  he  was  past  help  when  I  received  your 
first  dispatch ;  or,  at  least,  would  have  been  before  I  could 
have  reached  him. 

"Like  Mrs.  Fletcher,  you  may  tarry  behind  to  do  much 
for  God.  You  now  realize,  as  never  before,  the  power  of  re- 
ligion. Yours  is  a  hot  furnace,  but  remember  the  white- 
robed  throng  came  up  out  of  great  tribulation.  I  try  to  make 
your  case  my  own,  and  often  fear,  should  I  be  called  to  see 
my  best  earthly  friend  laid  in  the  cold  grave,  that  I  could 
never  smile  again/  God  and  my  own  heart  only  know  what 
a  jewel  I  have,  and  I  fear  I  have  not  religion  enough  to  sus- 
tain me  in  such  a  calamity.  But  I  may  go  first.  I  do  not 
allov/  myself  to  think  of  it,  but  keep  to  work,  and  trust  that 


336  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

he  who  has  called  me,  if  1  am  faithful,  will  sustain  me  in 
that  awful  hour,  whether  she  or  I  go  first.  If  you  could 
only  be  with  us  here,  God  would  make  you  a  great  blessing, 
and  I  am  sure  that  he  and  your  sainted  husband  would  be 
pleased  with  your  labors.  Be  as  cheerful  as  you  can ;  you 
will  have  friends  below  as  well  as  above. 
"Yours  affectionately, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

In  another  letter  to  Sister  Kendall,  written  about  the 
same  time,  after  discussing  the  idea  of  the  departed  being 
ministering  spirits  to  their  friends  here,  the  idea  of  which  he 
somewhat  favored,  he  wrote  thus  of  Brother  Kendall: 

"I  always  felt,  and  do  now,  a  kind  of  inspiration  to  say: 
'Blessed,  persecuted,  faithful  man!'  While  he  lived,  God 
had  one  man  that  would  not  swerve  a  hair's  breadth  from 
the  exact  right.  Yes,  God  had  one  man  in  the  old  Genesee 
Conference  that  could  be  trusted  in  any  place;  who  in  the 
darkest  night  of  discouragement  was  at  his  post.  Yes,  bless- 
ed saint!  Glory  be  to  God,  that  I  ever  saw  him!  I  feel 
the  inspiration  of  his  faithful  spirit.  I  never  felt  so  strong 
in  God,  and  so  firm  to  stand  up  for  the  exact  right  as  I  have 
since  he,  like  an  Elijah,  has  gone  on  before.  It  seems  to  me 
he  is  commissioned  to  infuse  his  own  daring,  faithful  spirit 
into  those  who  are  ready  to  halt.  I  praise  God  that  he  ever 
lived.  I  sometimes  relate  his  experiences,  persecutions,  and 
triumphs,  to  my  congregations,  and  always  with  good  effect. 
He  is  now  above  the  reach  of  flattery,  and  I  can  say  what  is 
in  my  heart,  'Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant.'  I  may 
yet  drink  of  his  bitter  cup,  but  shall  I  ever  be  with  him  and 
see  his  glory?  In  imagination  I  can  see  him,  on  the  occasion 
of  which  you  wrote,  when  he  was  so  grieved  to  think  he 
stood  so  alone  for  God;  and  in  my  inner  heart  I  say:  'Well 
done,  blessed  man.' 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


THE  WORK  UNCARED  FOR.  337 

Mr.  Redfield  was  pained  at  one  thing  in  connection  with 
his  work  in  Marengo — the  want  of  care  with  respect  to  the 
results  of  the  meeting.  He  says:  "Could  the  Methodist 
Church  have  been  persuaded  to  take  care  of  the  work,  rather 
than  to  contend  against  it,  it  might  have  spread  farther,  and  a 
more  glorious  harvest  have  been  reaped."  The  presiding 
elder  could  but  endorse  the  character  of  the  work,  but  thought 
in  the  end  it  would  work  harm,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to 
supply  it  with  preachers  who  would  be  acceptable  to  the 
people — that  is,  it  was  unfortunate  to  have  such  a  revival,  be- 
cause there  were  so  few  preachers  in  the  conference  who 
were  in  sympathy  with  it. 


CHAPTER  LIT. 

FROM  Marcngo,  Mr.  Reclficld  went  to  Woodstock,  the 
county  seat,  twelve  miles  distant.  Here  he  found  the  Meth- 
odist society  weak,  and  worshiping  in  a  hired  hall.  Quite  a 
number  of  the  newly  saved,  from  various  places,  gathered 
here  to  assist  in  the  meetings. 

Among  them  was  C.  E.  Harroun,  spoken  of  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  St.  Charles  meeting.  Mr.  Redfield's  manner 
and  matter  in  preaching  were  new  to  the  people,  and  as  usual 
drew  large  crowds  to  hear  him.  The  curiosity  of  the  masses, 
the  cold  indifference  of  the  church,  and  the  hesitating,  doubt- 
ful policy  of  the  pastor,  for  a  time  made  the  effort  for  a  re- 
vival very  hard.  One  brother,  from  Marengo,  who  had  ex- 
perienced the  holy  baptism,  while  engaged  in  prayer  at  the 
altar,  suddenly  was  without  voice  or  thoughts.  Having 
never  had  such  an  experience  before,  he  was  filled  with  sur- 
prise, and  looked  about  him  in  amazement.  With  Mr.  Red- 
field  this  was  no  new  thing,  and  fully  aware  of  the  feelings 
of  the  brother,  he  shouted  a  word  of  encouragement,  and 
soon  all  was  right.  Inquiry  showed  that  all  the  rest  of  the 
praying  ones  had  a  similar  experience  at  the  same  time.  It 
was  but  one  of  those  onsets  <ri  the  powers  of  darkness  often 
met  by  those  engaged  in  evangelistic  work.  The  writer  re- 
members an  instance  of  the  kind,  during  Mr.  Redfield's  labors 
in  Elgin.  A  sudden  hush  came  upon  the  meeting.  Every 
voice  at  the  altar  was  silenced,  and  soon  the  congregation' 
was  boisterous  with  merriment.  Mr.  Redficld,  standing  in 
front  of  the  pulpit,  suddenly  stamped  his  right  foot,  and  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  cried  out,  "Lord,  smite  the  devil."  In 
an  instant,  the  merriment  in  the  congregation  ceased,  and  ev- 
ery praying  one  broke  out  in  loud  supplication,  which  lasted 
for  some  moments,  when  the  praying  was  turned  to  praising, 
and  the  noise  of  the  latter  equaled  that  of  the  former.  For 


AN  ORGANIZED  MOB.  339 

such   emergencies  Mr.  Rcclfield  seemed  especially  endowed. 

At  Woodstock,  determined  opposition  set  in  against  the 
work.  At  first  the  Baptist  and  the  Presbyterian  ministers 
appointed  a  union  prayer  meeting  and  invited  both  the  Uni- 
versalist  preacher  and  Mr.  Redfield  to  attend  it.  Mr.  Red- 
field  saw  that  it  was  an  attempt  to  crowd  him  into  a  position 
where  he  would  be  misunderstood  by  the  people;  that  is, 
where  he  would  be  obliged  to  refuse  to  attend  the  meeting 
because  of  the  liberty  given  the  Universalist  minister.  They 
well  knew  this  from  what  they  had  heard  and  observed  of 
his  preaching.  But  if  he  refused  to  accept  of  their  invitation, 
they  would  charge  him  with  uncharitableness,  and  that  with 
apparent  grounds  for  it.  But  he  met  it  squarely,  by  answer- 
ing, "No!  I  have  no  fellowship  with  infidels."  He  then 
spoke  plainly  of  what  he  considered  the  design  of  the  thing. 

Then  an  eminent  minister,  living  at  a  distance,  was  sent 
for,  to  preach  in  one  of  the  churches,  and  that  failed.  Then 
a  prominent  member  was  found  standing  at  the  entrance  of 
the  hall  one  night,  asking  persons  if  they  were  not  ashamed 
to  be  seen  at  a  Methodist  meeting;  and  that  failed.  Then 
threatening  letters  were  sent  to  Mr.  Redfield,  and  that  failed. 
Then  a  band  of  roughs  congregated  together,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  each  other  to  mob  Mr.  Redfield,  and  he  was 
guarded  to  and  from  the  hall  a  number  of  nights.  A  dent- 
ist, an  old  Methodist  backslider,  by  the  name  of  Murphy,  a 
man  of  great  physical  strength  and  daring,  was  his  principal 
escort.  But  one  night  nearly  every  one  of  this  gang  was 
at  the  altar  crying  for  mercy;  and  so  that  scheme  failed. 
Then  reports  began  to  be  circulated  that  Mr.  Redfield  was  a 
gambler,  and  a  drinking  man.  Some  men  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  they  had  seen  him  engaged  in  both;  but  that  failed. 
The  Universalist  preacher  was  annoyed  by  so  many  of  his 
flock  attending  the  meetings  at  the  hall,  and  asked  them : 
"Why  do  you  go  there?" 

"To  hear  Redfield  preach  holiness,"  was  their  answer. 


340  Li I-K  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"Well,  if  thai  is  your  reason,  I  can  preach  holiness,"  he 
replied;  and  he  attempted  to  do  so. 

But  all  this  failed  to  stop  the  work. 

One  night,  after  an  ineffectual  effort  to  preach,  Mr.  Red- 
field  said  to  the  congregation :  "I  have  been  trying  for  two 
weeks  to  preach  to  you  the  truth.  For  some  reason  it  does 
not  do  its  work  as  it  should."  He  then  turned  to  the  pastor, 
who  sat  in  the  pulpit  with  him,  and  asked: 

"How  long  is  it  since  you  joined  the  conference  in  full 
connection?" 

"Fourteen  years,"  was  the  answer. 

"Did  you  not  say  then  you  were  earnestly  groaning  for 
full  redemption?" 

"I  did." 

"Are  you  any  nearer  to  it  to-night  than  you  were  then?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Don't  you  see  that  something  is  wrong?" 

"I  do." 

"Will  you  get  right?" 

"I  will." 

"Will  you  go  forward  right  nere,  and  now,  and  on  the 
seekers'  side  of  the  altar,  and  seek  it?" 

"I  will,"  said  the  now  deeply-moved  pastor,  and  im- 
mediately left  the  pulpit  and  knelt  on  the  outside  of  the  altar. 

With  a  scream,  a  woman,  a  member  of  the  church,  some 
distance  back  from  the  altar,  sprang  to  her  feet,  and  came 
running,  and  knelt  by  her  pastor's  side,  and  in  a  loud  voice 

said,  "O  Brother  B ,  you  said  I  need  not  take  off  this 

jewelry;  that  it  was  no  matter  if  my  heart  was  only  right. 

O  Brother  B ,  you  have  stood  right  in  my  way.'  At 

this,  a  number  more  ran  to  the  altar. 

That  night  the  work  broke.  The  revival  swept  the  town 
and  the  surrounding  country.  Every  county  officer,  includ- 
the  sheriff  and  the  judge,  nearly  every  lawyer,  and  many 
other  prominent  men,  were  converted.  One  lawyer  became 


THE  OLD  SIGN  APPEARS.  341 

a  traveling  preacher  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
the  sheriff  became  a  useful  local  preacher.  The  next  fall, 
the  conference  sent  Rev.  Joseph  Hartwell,  a  sound  Method- 
ist, and  one  who  enjoyed  and  preached  holiness,  to  supply 
the  pulpit,  and  the  weak  society  became  strong  and  vigorous. 

Before  leaving  Woodstock,  Mr.  Redfield  had  one  of  his 
old  signs  again ;  and  he  said  to  his  wife  one  day,  "Mattie,  we'll 
have  to  spend  the  winter  in  St.  Louis."  For  more  than 
twenty  years  he  had  felt  he  had  a  work  to  do  in  that  region, 
although  the  precise  place  was  not*  made  known  to  him 
until  now.  The  more  he  considered  the  matter,  the  more  he 
became  satisfied  that  duty  led  him  there,  and  he  planned  his 
work  accordingly.  He  did  not  go  to  St.  Louis  immediately, 
but  made  his  visit  there  at  a  later  date,  as  we  shall  hereafter 
see. 

His  successes  at  Marengo  and  Woodstock,  and  encourag- 
ing reports  from  Western  New  York,  cheered  his  heart,  and 
gave  him  courage  to  drive  the  battle  on. 

From  Woodstock,  Mr.  Redfield  went  to  a  country  church, 
on  Queen  Anne  prairie,  a  few  miles  away.  Here  God 
poured  out  his  Spirit  also,  and  many  were  raised  up  to  testify 
to  the  power  of  the  cleansing  blood.  Some  of  these  have 
gone  to  their  reward,  while  others  are  still  contending  for  the 
faith. 

When  in  June,  the  St.  Charles  camp  meeting  came  on, 
there  was  a  host  of  witnesses  to  perfect  love,  from  Aurora, 
St.  Charles,  Elgin,  Marengo,  Woodstock,  Queen  Anne, 
^nd  other  places,  reached  indirectly  by  Mr.  Redfiekl's  labors. 
What  power  there  was  in  the  services!  with  what  unction 
the  witnesses  spoke  and  prayed!  It  was  the  writer's  first 
camp  meeting,  and  all  its  scenes  and  events  are  still  vivid  to 
his  memory. 

Again,  Elder  Gammon  gave  Mr.  Redfield  great  liberty, 
and  entire  sanctification  was  the  theme  of  the  meeting.  But 

the  last  day  the  Rev.  C.  P.  Bragdon,  the  minister  alluded  to 
24 


342  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

in  another  chapter,  who  preached  the  sermon,  when  Purely 
saved  the  day  so  gloriously ;  this  man  preached  the  same 
sermon  here.  His  text  was: 

"Gather  up  the  fragments,  that  nothing  be  lost." 

The  first  part  of  the  sermon  was  anti-rum;  the  second 
part  was  anti-tobacco;  and  the  third  part  was  anti-holiness. 
In  the  last  he  set  forth  the  idea  that  all  the  experience  a  be- 
liever had  after  his  conversion,  is  growth  in  grace.  The 
experience  of  entire  sanctification  as  a  second  experience, 
was  ridiculed  and  denied.  This  was  the  first  manifestation 
of  hostility  to  the  doctrine  and  experience  among  the  Meth- 
odists of  Fox  River  valley;  but  it  was  only  the  beginning  of 
what  proved  afterward  the  occasion  of  division  in  the  church. 

Elder  Gammon  desired  Mr.  Redfield  to  preach  in  the 
afternoon  after  Mr.  B 's  strange  discourse.  But  he  re- 
plied: "I  shall  have  to  meet  the  false  doctrine  of  this  fore- 
noon, if  I  do." 

"But,"  s;u'd  the  elder,  "it  would  hardly  do  to  have  any 
controversy  on  the  campground." 

So  Mr.  Redfield  did  not  preach. 


CHAPTER  LIU. 

SOON  after  the  St.  Charles  camp  meeting,  Mr.  Redfield 
made  a  visit  to  Western  New  York.  At  Pekin,  in  Niagara 
county,  he  found  a  general  quarterly  meeting,  the  first  of  the 
kind  he  had  ever  attended.  Here  he  met  with  preachers  and 
laymen  from  afar,  who  had  gathered  to  wait  upon  God  for 
baptisms  of  power  for  the  Lord's  work.  His  heart  was 
cheered  with  their  boldness  and  freedom,  and  unction.  He 
remembered  his  hours  of  sadness  and  lamentation  over  the 
thought  that  so  much  of  his  work  had  been  destroyed,  by 
the  opposition  to  primitive  Methodism  in  the  church.  But 
here  he  looked  upon  and  heard  many  who  had  been  brought 
into  the  light  through  his  labors  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  He  found  that  the  work  had  been  kept  alive  in 
some  places,  by  the  organization  of  bands,  made  up  of  those 
who  enjoyed  perfect  love  and  were  contending  earnestly  for 
real  Methodism.  He  told  them  of  his  labors  in  the  West, 
where,  and  when,  and  with  what  results;  of  the  oppositions 
and  the  encouragements  he  had  met.  He  thought  he  saw 
that  these  brethren  were  sure  of  one  of  two  things:  either 
they  would  win  the  people  to  Methodism  in  such  numbers 
that  those  in  power  in  the  church  would  not  dare  to  molest 
them;  or  they  would  be  finally  excluded  from  the  church. 
That  very  fall,  but  a  few  months  after  this,  the  work  of 
expulsion  commenced.  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  M'Creery 
were  expelled  from  the  conference  and  the  church. 

Soon  after  this  meeting,  Mr.  Redfield  returned  to  Illinois, 
and,  August  25,  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Kendall  as  follows: 

"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — I  have  much  to  say  and  little 
time  in  which  to  say  it.  Salvation  is  our  only  theme.  The 
strife  against  it  has  begun,  but  the  pilgrims  in  these  parts 
hold  on  as  yet,  and  seem  resolved  to  maintain  their  stand. 

(348) 


344  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDKIKI.D. 

B has  made  himself  very  busy  in  opposing  it,  but  has 

lost  caste  with  many  for  his  trouble.  I  hear  that  the  people 
where  he  was  last  year  refuse  to  have  him  returned.  I  keep 
scattering  the  tracts  and  pamphlets.  The  more  the  pil- 
grims here  learn  of  the  pilgrims  there,  the  more  they  love 
them.  I  am  accused  of  'splitting  churches.'  I  confess  that 
is  my  object — to  split  them  off  from  the  world.  But  many 
good  people,  and  some  of  the  preachers  here,  are  very  much 
prejudiced  against  you.  Brother  Woodward  (formerly  of 
the  Genesee  Conference)  says  he  cannot  believe  all  is  right 
among  the  pilgrims  when  such  men  as  Fillmore,  and  Church, 
and  De  Puy,  and  Bowman,  represent  them  as  they  do.  I 
learn  that  De  Puy  and  Bowman*  are  to  emigrate  to  this 
country  this  year.  May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  us  if  they 
do. 

"Mattie's  health  has  been  very  poor  of  late,  and  we  think 
of  going  to  Missouri  and  Kansas  about  the  zoth  of  Sep- 
tember. I  wish  you  could  go  with  us. 

"How  goes  the  great  work  at  West  Falls?  and  how 
among  th'e  pilgrims?  I  shall  look  with  great  interest  to  the 
coming  session  of  the  Genesee  Conference.  Don't  fail  to 
inform  me  of  all  that  occurs.  Mattie  reads  your  letters  to 
the  pilgrims  here,  wherever  we  go,  and  they  set  them  all  on 
fire  for  the  work. 

"That  was  a  remarkable  scene  you  described,  when  those 
two  preachers  thought  they  saw  the  sainted  Kendall.  Oh, 
how  my  heart  leaps  when  I  think  of  his  fidelity,  purity,  and 
zeal!  I  know  he  was  right.  How  the  breaking  of  the  last 
seal  will  let  a  flood  of  light  upon  his  adversaries!  Then  will 
they  confess:  <O  William,  you  were  right,  and  we  were 
wrong.'  My  heart  continually  asks:  Who  will  take  up 
his  burden  and  testimony,  where  he  laid  them  down? 

*  Mr.  Bowman,  at  a  national  camp  meeting  held  subsequent  to  this,  aa  the  writer 
was  informed  by  a  minister  who  was  present,  confeseed  that  his  coarse  in  the  Gen- 
eeee  Conference  difficulties  wus  wrong. 


A  DEMAND  FOR  HOLINESS  SERMONS.  345 

Blessed  man!     Redeemed  snint!     I  am  sure  he  now  dwells 
forever  above  the  strife  of  tongues. 

"Remember  me  to  Brother  and  Sister  Roberts,  and  all 
the  pilgrims. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

About  this  time  was  held  the  last  quarterly  meeting  for 
the  Elgin  charge,  and  in  the  quarterly  conference,  of  which 
the  writer  was  a  member  and  present  at  the  time,  the  license 
of  Mr.  Redfield  as  a  local  preacher  was  renewed  without 
any  opposition.  He  was  also  given  a  written  recommenda- 
tion as  a  revivalist.  Mr.  Redfield  was  not  present  when 
this  was  done. 

About  the  same  time  he  attended  a  camp  meeting  at 
Coral,  near  Marengo,  where  he  labored  with  great  power. 
This  meeting  was  under  the  management  of  Rev.  Hooper 
Crews,  presiding  elder  of  Rockford  district.  Mr.  Crews  was 
an  excellent  preacher,  of  sweet  spirit,  and  manifestly  very 
sincere;  but,  at  the  same  time,  little  calculated  for  leadership 
against  tumultuous  opposition.  He  had  already  expressed 
his  feai's  as  to  being  able  to  furnish  preachers  who  would  be 
acceptable  to  societies  where  Mr.  Redfield  had  successfully 
labored.  On  Sunday  morning  of  this  camp  meeting,  in  his 
sermon,  he  made  this  allusion  to  his  experience: 

"If  I  ever  experienced  entire  sanctification,  it  was  when  I 
was  converted,  for  I  have  been  happy  ever  since." 

So  strong  was  the  influence  of  the  doctrine  and  experi- 
ence of  holiness  at  this  camp-meeting,  that  every  minister  was 
compelled  to  recognize  it  in  his  sermons  and  testimonies. 
Here  were  the  fruits  of  Mr.  Redfield's  labors  in  the  great 
meetings  he  had  held  at  the  places  heretofore  described ;  and 
any  minister  not  in  sympathy  with  the  doctrine  of  holiness 
was  in  a  very  embarrassing  position. 

Mr.  Redfield  preached  in  the  afternoon  of  Sunday  with 
great  power,  and  multitudes  were  at  the  altar  seeking.  So 
* 


346  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

great  was  the  interest  that  he  held  a  second  altar  service 
about  five  o'clock,  when  perhaps  one  hundred  were  forward 
seeking.  This  meeting  was  led  in  his  characteristic  way. 
After  opening  with  singing  and  prayer,  he  gave  a  half- 
hour's  talk  on  the  way  of  salvation.  In  this  he  pointed  out 
clearly  and  distinctly  the  successive  steps  each  seeker  must 
take  to  find  salvation.  While  dwelling  upon  this,  he  ex- 
plained the  seeming  confusion  of  many  in  regard  to  the 
experience  of  entire  sanctification  being  a  second  work,  and 
then  remarked,  "That  is  what  ails  your  presiding  elder." 

Brother  Crews  sat  immediately  behind  him,  and  was 
^deeply  moved  by  the  remark. 

When  the  invitation  was  given  for  seekers,  there  was  a 
rush.  They  commenced  praying  aloud,  and  all  at  once,  and 
in  about  fifteen  minutes  the  prayer  meeting  was  ended. 
Nearly  all  had  entered  into  the  experience.  This  service 
was  a  revelation  to  a  large  number  of  ministers  present,  as 
they  never  had  seen  anything  on  that  wise  before.  Imme- 
diately after  the  service  the  presiding  elder  took  Mr.  Red- 
field  aside  for  a  plain,  close  conversation  on  the  subject  of 
sanctification.  That  conversation  resulted  in  the  presiding 
cider's  entering  into  the  experience,  a  few  weeks  afterward 
in  a  prayer  meeting  in  Rockford.  But,  from  not  confessing 
it  fully,  he  soon  after  lost  it.  He  found  and  lost  it  three 
times  during  the  following  year;  and  finally  at  a  camp  meet- 
ing held  in  the  northern  part  6f  his  district  the  following 
year,  he  went  to  the  jiltar  like  a  little  boy,  was  labored  with 
by  the  laymen  and  the  sisters  of  his  district,  and  while  look- 
ing at  one  of  the  promises  of  God,  in  an  open  Bible,  held  be- 
fore him  by  an  eccentric  minister  by  the  name  of  Irving,  and 
asked  if  he  believed  it,  with  a  scream  of  joy  he  sprang  to  his 
feet,  and  seeing  his  wife  at  a  distance,  he  ran  speedily  to  her, 
caught  her  in  his  arms,  and  ran  about  the  camp  ground  like  a 
deer, shouting, "Hallelujah!"  at  every  bound.  From  that  time 
Hooper  Crews  preached,  and  enjoyed  and  lived  the  blessed 
experience. 


AWAY  FOR  ST.  Louis.  347 

Soon  after  this  camp  meeting  Mr.  Redfield  began  to  get 
ready  to  go  to  St.  Louis.  At  the  same  time  he  became 
greatly  tempted  about  going.  For  several  days  this  lasted, 
during  which  Mrs.  Red  field  advised  against  going,  and  final- 
ly determined  she  would  not  go.  But  during  a  season  of 
prayer  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  they  both  obtained  the  victory, 
and  went  forward  cheerfully  to  their  work. 

On  their  way  to  St.  Louis  they  stopped  for  a  few  days  at 
St.  Charles.  While  here,  an  effort  was  made  by  his  friends 
to  have  him  hold  a  few  meetings.  The  official  board  of  the 
church  was  called  together,  and  a  petition,  signed  by  a  large 
number  of  the  membership,  asking  that  Mr.  Redfield  be 
invited  to  hold  revival  services,  was  laid  before  it.  The 
preacher  was  a  new  man,  and  for  some  reason  was  unwilling 
to  work  with  Mr.  Redfield.  When  the  vote  was  taken  on 
granting  the  petition,  nine  we^e  in  favor  of  it,  and  five 
opposed.  But  such  was  the  opposition  of  the  five  that  the 
majority  offered  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  pastor,  and  he 
decided  against  it. 

While  waiting  here,  he  wrote  the  following  letter: 

"ST.  CHARLES,  111.,  October  7,  1858. 
"Dear  Sister  Kendall: — We  cannot  tell  you  in  words 
how  highly  we  prize  your  very  welcome  letters,  giving 
the  details  of  the  events  taking  place  in  Western  N.  Y. 
We  are  with  you  heart  and  soul,  and  the  evidence  you  give 
us  of  your  resolve  to  keep  the  narrow,  steep,  thorny,  and 
disgraced  way,  fires  us  with  new  resolves  to  urge,  press,  and 
fight  for  the  same.  Mattie  reads  and  re-reads  your  letters 
to  the  weeping  pilgrims  who  sympathize  with  the  pilgrims 
of  the  East,  and  who  vow  anew  to  go  on  in  the  narrowest 
of  the  narrow  way.  How  it  moved  our  hearts  when  she 
read  of  that  camp  meeting,  where  your  husband's  brother 
accepted  his  mantle  and  his  cross.  How  the  scenes  of  the 
past,  when  that  sainted  man,  the  personification  of  fidelity, 


348  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RF.DKIKI.D. 

walked  forth  to  lead  the  battle  on,  regardless  of  foes,  or  the 
odds  against  him.  One  motive,  one  thought,  alone  con- 
sumed him,  and  that  was  to  battle  for  the  right.  When  I 
think  of  him,  my  heart  vows  anew  to  go  the  same  despised 
way.  How  like  vapor  appear  the  opinions  of  all  men!  What 
a  death  was  his!  Shall  I  die  like  him?  Will  Jesus  say  to 
me  'Well  done?'  Oh,  this  salvation  that  saves  is  the  only 
thing  that  will  bear  the  test  at  last! 

"Mattie  has  written  to  you  of  the  camp  meeting.  Oh,  how 
soul  cheering  it  was  to  see  the  multitudes  who  were  saved 
last  winter  still  battling  manfully  for  God! 

"We  expect  by  week  after  next  to  be  on  our  way  to  St. 
Louis,  where  if  the  Lord  permits,  we  mean  to  press  the 
gospel  which  divides  households,  and  splits  dead  churches  off 
from  the  world.  We  need  the  baptism  of  fire  for  our  work, 
and  expect  it,  too.  Bless  tile  Lord ! 

"The  fire-  is  spreading  in  this  region  rapidly,  but  the 
fight  will  yet  come,  and  the  pilgrims  here,  who  read  with 
avidity  the  history  and  doings  of  the  pilgrims  there,  and  who 
deeply  sympathize  with  you,  will  have  need  that  others  sym- 
pathize with  them.  Many  pretty  good  Christians  who  have 
not  been  through  the  hottest  furnaces  must  remain  too  gross 
to  appreciate  that  blessed  freedom  and  faith  which  dare  to  let 
God's  Spirit  impel  them  to  act  out  heaven's  simplicity.  We 
will  bear  with  them,  but  let  no  one  beguile  us  of  the  precious 
freedom  to  act  out,  as  well  as  shout  out,  glory.  I  know  it 
shocks  their  sense  of  propriety.  But,  thank  God,  I  feel  that 
heaven's  propriety  is  full  as  rational  as  ours.  Could  men 
see  that  the  unknown  glory  which  cannot  find  outlet  in 
words  must  have  other  avenues  of  egress  to  reach  the  gross 
heart  of  the  dumb  world;  could  they  but  realize  that  heaven's 
blessedness  is  designed  for  man's  every  pleasurable  emotion, 
and  that  the  manifestations  of  these  emotions  are  the  only 
means  by  which  it  can  be  understood,  they  would  see  the 
profoundcst  philosophy  in  tears,  smiles,  shouting,  screaming, 
and  jumping. 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  KENDALL. 


349 


"My  dear  sister,  Jesus  lias  made  you  free.  You  may  be 
a  gazing  stock  to  men,  but  remember  you  are  also  to  the  in- 
numerable company.  Your  name  may  be  cast  out  as  evil,  but 
they  cannot  reach  high  enough  to  tarnish  it  on  the  pillars  of 
heaven.  Of  course  you  will  be  called  foolish,  crazy, nervous; 
but  I  am  persuaded  that  you  long  ago  passed  those  chained 
lions.  Some  people  will  not  believe,  some  will  feel  a  pious 
concern  for  the  cause  of  religion ;  but  if  God  desires  to  make 
you  one  end  of  salvation's  telegraph  line,  to  make  known 
what  is  going  on  in  the  London  of  Paradise,  let  him  have 
his  way.  From  the  depths  of  my  soul  I  say  go  on  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

October  31,  he  wrote  again  as  follows: 

"ST.  CHARLES,  111. 

"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — We  have  been  watching  the 
mails  daily  hoping  to  hear  from  you  again.  We  last  night 
received  information  of  the  doings  of  the  Genesee  Confer- 
ence— at  least  enough — for  us  to  see  what  disposition  was 
made  of  Brothers  Roberts  and  M'Creery.  I  must  confess  I 
did  not  expect  all  that.  I  knew  well  enough  what  some  of 
the  preachers  desired,  but  I  thought  they  feared  the  people 
too  much  to  go  to  such  an  extreme.  It  looks  now  as  though 
Brother  Kendall  had  been  taken  from  the  evil  that  was  to 
come.  I  have  been  sorely  tempted  and  tried  over  such  con- 
duct in  the  conference  preachers. 

"We  had  a  little  gathering  at  the  house  where  we  are 
now  stopping,  and  Mattie  read  to  us  your  letter  describing 
the  Bergen  camp  meeting,  and  we  all  had  a  weeping  and  re- 
joicing time,  and  renewed  our  vows  to  keep  the  narrow  way. 

"The  people  here  have  been  negotiating  for  us  to  stay 
and  hold  another  meeting  before  we  go  south,  but  I  have  no 
hope  that  it  will  be  permitted.  There  are  four  fighters  in 
this  church  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  members,  and  I  will  not 
make  another  attempt,  unless  they  will  stop  the  'fiddle',  and 


350  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

pledge  themselves  to  go  the  straight  religion  necessary  to 
meet  the  judgment.  Some  arc  discouraged,  and  say  'Let  us 
start  a  salvation  church.'  But  that  will  not  work,  for  all  op- 
posers  will  then  feel  themselves  at  liberty  to  manufacture 
what  testimony  they  please  to  put  us  down. 

"What  will  the  people  do  in  your  region  about  the  ex- 
pulsion of  Brothers  Roberts  and  M'Creery.  I  expect  under 
the  excitement  of  the  hour  some  strong  resolutions  will  be 
passed,  and  many  sharp  things  will  be  said;  but  will  the  pil- 
grims move  forward  m  the  good  work,  in  a  proper  spirit? 
or  will  they  be  frightened  at  the  usage  of  these  two  men? 
Like  your  sainted  husband,  I  sing, 

'I  belong  to  this  band,  Hallelujah!' 

"I  only  wish  I  was  worthy  to  suffer  with  them. 

"The  friends  of  the  Eastern  pilgrims  are  increasing  here 
in  the  West.  We  must  make  the  most  of  our  opportunities 
now  to  spread  Methodism  over  the  vast  fields  about  us. 

"If  the  church  here  does  not  take  the  stand  for  the 
straight  way,  we  shall  leave  soon  for  our  southern  tour.  We 
expected  to  have  been  off  before  this  time,  but  Mattie's  health 
and  some  unfinished  business  have  hitherto  prevented.  But 
we  hope  by  the  loth  or  I5th  of  next  month,  at  most,  to  be 
on  our  way. 

"I  suppose  there  are  many  items  of  interest  in  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Genesee  Conference,  that  we  shall  not  re- 
ceive unless  you  or  some  one  shall  give  them  to  us.  I  did 
not  get  a  copy  of  the  charges  against  them,  but  I  suppose 
they  refer  to  the  quarterly  and  camp  meetings.  But  God 
still  lives;  salvation  is  free;  and  heaven  is  our  home.  The 
great  reckoning  day  will  set  all  things  right. 

"May  God  still  keep  you. 

"J.  W.  AND  MATTIE  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

JUST  before  the  time  came  to  start  for  St.  Louis,  a  few  of 
Mr.  Redfield's  friends  came  together  for  a  season  of  prayer. 
And  those  St.  Charles  pilgrims  were  mighty  in  prayer  in 
those  days.  During  this  prayer  meeting  Mr.  Reclfield  was 
greatly  impressed  with  the  saying  of  St.  Paul,  "I  go  bound 
in  the  Spirit  *  *  *  not  knowing  what  may  befall  me, 
save  that  the  Holy  Ghost  witnesseth,  that  in  every  city 
bonds  and  afflictions  await  me."  He  was  afflicted  to  think 
he  could  not  adopt  the  remainder  of  the  passage,  and  say, 
"but  none  of  these  things  move  me."  Referring  to  this  ex- 
perience he  says,  "If  I  had  dared  to  turn  back,  I  would  have 
done  so.  I  was  confident  that  God  had  called  me  to  St. 
Louis,  but  I  knew  no  one  there,  and  besides  I  had  not 
money  enough  to  run  any  hazard." 

They  stopped  at  Princeton,  in  Bureau  Co.,  Illinois, 
about  one  hundred  miles  on  the  way,  to  visit  Rev.  Charles 
French,  with  whom  he  had  labored  in  St.  Charles,  the  win- 
ter before.  While  here,  a  friend  said  to  him,  unasked,  "I 
have  some  money  for  you,"  and  handed  him  enough  to  take 
him  to  his  destination  and  a  little  more.  While  waiting  at 
Princeton,  he  penned  another  letter  to  Mrs.  Kendall,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  copy: 

"PRINCETON,  Bureau  Co.,  111.,  Nov.  18,  1858. 
"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — We  received  your  letter 
dated  the  nth  instant,  and  with  deep  emotion,  read  the  fill- 
ing out  of  what  was  lacking  in  the  reports  we  had  received 
of  the  doings  of  the  Genesee  Conference.  This  gave  us  a 
clear  view  of  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  doings  of  the  Regency.* 
I  confess  that  my  anxieties  for  the  future  are  most  intense. 
I  am  continually  asking  myself,  'Will  the  pilgrims  hold  on 

*  A  name  given  to  the  opposition  in  that  conference. 

(351) 


352  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

amid  this  furnace  of  affliction?  or  will  they  tire  out  from  the 
discouragements  of  this  evil  time,  and  abandon  the  work 
God  has  given  them  to  do?'  You  have  nothing  more  to 
lose.  You  will  never  regain  the  forfeited  favor  of  those  de- 
luded men  if  you  forsake  the  work,  and  if  you  fail,  who 
will  dare  to  repeat  the  experiment?  And  yet  your  work 
must  be  done,  if  vital  godliness  is  ever  reinstated  in  the 
church.  Remember  the  years  of  toil,  and,  apparently  al- 
most profitless,  which  it  cost  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  Chris- 
tianity in  Burmah!  Think  of  the  many  martyrs  who  fell 
before  Africa  received  the  gospel!  And  think  of  the  self- 
sacrifice,  toil,  weeping,  and  groaning  before  God,  amid 
slander  and  reproach,  of  a  Luther  and  a  Wesley!  What 
if  they  had  fainted?  What  would  have  become  of  the  re- 
formations which  they  led?  Great  moral  reforms  have 
always  had  their  victims.  Reformers  must  be  content  to  let 
their  reputations  lie  over,  at  least,  for  one  generation. 

"But  I'll  stop  this  strain.  I  hardly  know  why  I  should 
be  led  out  like  this.  But  let  me  say,  there  are  many  hearts 
in  these  regions  who  pray  for  you,  and  who  are  with  you 
heart  and  hand,  and  stand  ready  to  enlist  in  any  feasible  proj- 
ect that  bids  fair  to  re-establish  the  primitive  life,  power,  and 
simplicity  of  Methodism.  And  their  number  is  increasing. 
I  am  glad  the  scribes,  Pharisees,  and  OiKl-fellows  were 
led  to  overt  acts  which  have  done  more  to  open  the  eyes  of 
the  honest  to  see  the  necessity  of  some  decisive  plan  of 
operations  in  returning  to  the  'old  paths.' 

"You  speak  of  severe  mental  conflicts,  in  which  your 
reason  seems  to  suffer.  May  I  ask,  is  it  like  unto  a  bit  of 
my  own  experience?  While  struggling  to  fulfill  my  obliga- 
tions to  God,  enduring  to  my  utmost  power  of  endurance, 
groaning  and  weeping  before  God,  my  labors  were  ques- 
tioned, my  motives  impugned,  my  character  slandered, — and 
that  by  a  Methodist  preacher,  who  all  the  time  flattered  me 
to  my  face.  I  cared  not  for  myself,  but  when  I  found  that 


LETTER  TO  MRS.  KENDALL.  353 

the  cause  of  Christ  was  suffering  because  of  this,  I  was 
almost  wild  with  grief,  and  was  on  the  point  of  abandoning 
the  field.  Oh,  what  agony  I  experienced!  The  world  never 
looked  so  desolate  to  me  before.  My  bleeding  heart  would 
ask,  why  does  the  Lord  suffer  this?  Why  don't  he  remove 
the  woe,  and  let  me  spend  my  days  in  quiet?  I  knew  not 
what  the  Lord  was  doing  with  me.  But  I  learned  a  lesson 
that  I  could  have  learned  in  no  other  way.  I  found  two 
things  in  me  that  needed  correction:  One  was,  that  I  had 
taken  more  care  upon  me  for  God's  cause  than  I  could  well 
endure,  and  had  come  to  think  that  I  was  somewhat  essential 
to  its  welfare.  I  forgot  that  God  had  to  carry  me  and  the 
cause  also.  The  second  thing  was,  that  God  held  me 
responsible  for  fidelity,  and  not  for  success.  How  I  then 
saw  I  was  groaning  over  a  few  wrongs,  while  Jesus  carried, 
endured,  and  wept  over  the  wickedness  and  backslidings  of 
the  whole  world.  By  this  light  I  saw  that  God  holds  me 
responsible  for  duty,  whether  men  hear  or  forbear.  I  now 
saw  that  my  bewilderment  arose  from  an  attempt  to  settle 
these  matters  by  my  own  reason.  Then  this  simple  track 
was  presented  to  me:  Look  only  to  Jesus  when  he  com- 
mands; stop  when  he  bids  you;  do  the  exact  right;  leave  no 
duty  undone,  and  let  God  manage  the  results.  This  saves 
from  all  policy  working  even  to  outwit  the  devil.  It  saves 
from  all  planning,  and  all  fear  for  results.  It  is  resting 
wholly  in  Christ,  and  in  the  use  of  God's  word  and  plan  for 
the  redemption  of  the  world. 

"Down  deep  in  my  soul  I  feel  God  is  with  you  and  will 
lead  you,  if  you  give  him  a  fair  chance.  You  will  be  led  to 
duties  that  will  test  your  views  of  propriety.  Our  views  of 
propriety  are  usually  from  our  reasoning,  which  needs  this 
discipline.  This  disturbance  of  our  reasoning  is  due  to  the 
conflict  between  our  sense  of  propriety  and  that  unadorned 
simplicity  which  the  Spirit  of  God  would  institute.  Let  God 
move,  you  in  harmony  with  his  word  and  the  history  of  the 
past,  and  all  will  be  well.  J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


354  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

The  next  clay  after  receiving  the  money  from  his  friend, 
they  took  the  train  for  Burlington,  Iowa,  where  they  expect- 
ed to  take  a  steamer  for  St.  Louis.  Here  they  had  to  wait  a 
week,  as  it  was  late  in  the  season,  and  many  of  the  boats  had 
stopped  running.  Mr.  Redfield's  state  of  mind  was  any- 
thing but  pleasant.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  going  to 
meet  with  trouble. 

On  reaching  St.  Louis  they  put  up  at  a  hotel,  at  great  ex- 
pense. In  a  few  days  he  began  to  look  for  cheaper  quarters. 
For  awhile  matters  looked  as  though  they  would  have  to 
leave  the  city,  but  at  last  he  found  a  place  where  they  could 
board  at  $12.50  per  week,  and  this  to  be  paid  in  advance. 
As  soon  as  they  could  get  settled  he  went  in  search  of  a 
Methodist  church.  There  were  plenty  of  southern  Methodist 
churches,  but  he  desired  a  northern  church,  as  he  did  not 
feel  free  to  become  identified  with  a  slave-holding  people. 
It  was  difficult  to  find  any  who  knew  of  such  a  church  as 
he  desired.  He  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Rev.  Dr.  Wil- 
liams, but  no  one  seemed  to  know  his  residence.  Sunday 
morning  came,  and  he  found  the  Ebenezer  church  and  Dr. 
Williams  its  pastor.  At  the  close  of  the  morning  sermon, 
he  handed  the  pastor  his  letters  of  introduction,  also  their 
church  letters.  The  5th  of  December,  he  preached  for  the 
first  time,  at  the  invitation  of  the  pastor.  After  this,  in  one 
of  the  official  meetings  a  motion  was  made  to  invite  him  to 
assist  the  pastor  in  revival  meetings.  But  the  pastor  refused 
to  put  the  question,  saying,  "I  propose  to  hold  the  reins  of 
this  pulpit  in  my  own  hands,  and  only  invite  to  assist  me 
whom  I  please.  If  you  are  dissatisfied  with  me,  and  desire 
this  man,  I  can  pack  my  carpet-bag  and  leave."  Mr.  Red- 
field  was  not  present,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  proposition 
to  invite  him  until  some  time  after. 

During  this  time  he  had  been  in  search  of  a  still  cheaper 
boarding  house,  and  finding  one  that  was  more  reasonable, 
he  was  about  to  remove,  when  his  landlady  refused,  to  let 


TROUBLES  IN  ST.  Louis.  355 

him  take  his  trunks  unless  he  would  pay  another  week's 
board.  He  went  to  a  bank  to  get  a  draft  cashed,  and  found 
it  imperfect,  and  that  it  must  be  sent  back  to  northern  Illinois 
to  be  corrected  before  he  could  draw  the  money  on  it.  To 
get  out  of  his  difficulty  he  had  to  pawn  his  watch.  Before 
the  draft  returned,  a  Jew,  learning  of  the  circumstances,  un- 
solicited, went  and  redeemed  his  watch  and  returned  it  to 
him. 

But  now  the  news  came  to  him  of  what  took  place  in 
the  official  board.  He  said  nothing  to  any  one  but  his  wife, 
but  he  felt  that  jealousy  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  trouble, 
and  that  he  had  better  leave.  But  his  wife  said,  "No.  God 
has  sent  us  here,  and  we  must  stay."  They  then  concluded 
that  if  there  was  to  be  trouble  in  the  church,  their  mission 
would  be  to  the  people  in  house  to  house  visitation.  They 
made  some  visits,  and  God  began  a  glorious  work,  in  which 
quite  a  number  were  blessedly  saved.  But  this  was  called 
sowing  dissension. 

About  this  time  he  was  invited  to  preach  in  a  colored 
people's  church,  and  when  he  consented  to  do  so,  advised 
that  the  white  people  be  not  informed  of  it,  lest  they  come 
to  the  meeting,  and  he  be  accused  of  drawing  off  the  con- 
gregation from  Ebenezer  church.  The  first  night  God 
blessed  the  truth,  and  nearly  every  sinner  in  the  house  was 
at  the  altar  for  prayer.  This  could  not  be  kept  secret,  and 
soon  white  people  from  Ebenezer  church  began  to  come. 
Occasionally  he  was  allowed  to  preach  in  Ebenezer,  and  his 
congregations,  when  it  was  known  beforehand,  were  large. 
The  doctrine  of  holiness,  as  he  presented  it,  attracted  much 
attention,  and  the  membership,  not  only  of  this  church,  but 
of  other  churches,  became  much  interested  in  it;  and  a  gen- 
eral revival  was  manifestly  coming  on. 

He  says,  "I  was  in  the  company  of  the  pastor  one  day, 
and  was  desirous  of  convincing  him  of  my  honesty  and  sin- 
cerity ;  and  this  especially  as  I  had  heard  that  he  and  other 


356  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDKIKI.D. 

prcaclicrs  had  branded  me  as  a  fanatic,  and  an  impostor,  and 
that  instead  of  being  a  Methodist,  I  was  a  Campbellite,  etc. 
Without  adverting  to  this,  I  said,  'Doctor,  I  am  so  burdened 
for  St.  Louis,  it  seems  as  though  I  must  see  salvation  come, 
or  I  cannot  endure  it.* 

"  *Oh,'  said  he,  'I  never  allow  myself  to  get  such  burdens. 
If  they  do  come,  I  go  to  bed  and  sleep  them  off.' 

"I  saw  I  could  awaken  no  chord  of  sympathy  in  him 
on  that  line,  and  I  said: 

"  'I  am  a  Methodist,  and  you,  yourself,  cannot  find  any- 
thing in  my  preaching  at  variance  with  John  Wesley.' 

"  'But,'  said  he,  'there  are  many  of  us  Methodist  preach- 
ers who  do  not  believe  with  John  Wesley.' 

"And  so  every  effort  to  bring  myself  into  communion 
with  him  failed. 

"Soon  after  this,  the  quarterly  conference  met,  and  a  vote 
was  taken  on  inviting  me  to  hold  meetings  in  the  church, 
from  one  to  three  weeks;  and  only  one  man  voted  against  it. 
When  the  pastor  saw  the  unanimity  of  the  vote,  he  remarked, 
'Well,  give  us  a  good  collection  next  Sunday,  and  after  next 
Tuesday  he  can  preach.' 

"I  was  not  present,  but  this  was  reported  to  me  by  one 
who  was.  When  the  time  came  for  me  to  begin,  I  felt  a 
presentiment  that  I  would  meet  with  trouble  of  some  kind, 
and  so  I  went  in  good  season.  But  when  I  arrived  at  the 
church,  a  presiding  elder,  who  was  known  to  be  an  opposer 
of  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  was  in  the  pulpit,  and  had  com- 
menced the  service.  After  the  singing  and  prayer,  Doctor 

W said  to  me,  'Come  forward  and  preach.'  I  went  into 

the  pulpit  and  commenced.  I  had  felt  impressed  to  take  a 
copy  of  the  Discipline,  and  also  a  copy  of  Rev.  Joseph  Hart- 
well's  tract,  giving  quotations  from  Wesley's  views  on 
sanctification,  with  me.  In  the  midst  of  my  discourse,  I 
thought  it  best  to  say  to  the  congregation  that  the  official 
board  had  invited  me  to  stay  and  preach  from  one  to  three 


METHODISM  IN  A  METHODIST  PULPIT.          357 

weeks;  but  if  I  do,  it  is  due  to  you  to  know  what  I  am.  I 
then  said,  'I  am  a  Methodist,'  and  drawing  the  Discipline 
from  my  pocket,  I  repeated  the  rules  to  which  I  had  sub- 
scribed, and  which  I  tried  to  live  to.  'You  may  want  to 
know  also  what  are  my  views  on  the  doctrine  of  holiness'; 
and  then  drawing  from  my  pocket  the  extracts  from  Wesley, 
I  said.  'Here  are  my  views,  straight  out  of  Wesley's  works.' 
These  I  read,  giving  page  a*nd  section.  I  then  said,  'If  I 
stay,  I  must  preach  the  same  class  of  truths  to  which  you 
have  listened  from  me  since  I  have  been  here.  And  I  think 
it  is  due  that  I  make  this  frank  statement,  that  if  I  stay,  I 
must  so  preach  the  whole  law  that  I  can  meet  it  again.  And 
I  think  it  is  due  to  me  to  know  whether  you  want  it,  and 
will  abide  by  it.  So  I  will  ask  all,  saints  and  sinners,  to  say, 
by  vote,  whether  you 

"I    was    going  to  say,  'will  do  so  or  not.'     But  I  was 

interrupted   by  Dr.  W ,  who  caught  me  by  the  arm  and 

said,  'Stop,  sir;  I  am  responsible  for  this  pulpit.' 

"I  felt  perfectly  calm,  and  turning  to  him,  said,  'Doctor,  I 
was  not  going  to  transcend  the  proprieties  of  the  pulpit,  but' — 

"  'Stop,  sir';  said  he.    'I  am  responsible,  for  this  pulpit.' 

"I  tried  again  and  again  to  make  an  explanation,  but  he 
forbade  it,  and  then  commanded  me  to  go  on  with  my 
sermon. 

"Afterwards,  this  was  reported  to  have  been  an  effort  on 
my  part  to  take  a  vote  of  the  congregation  whether  I  or  he 
should  occupy  the  pulpit. 

"While  this  was  taking  place  in  the  pulpit,  my  soul  was 
talking  with  God.  An  unearthly  power  rested  upon  me. 
God  seemed  to  be  all  around  me.  He  seemed  to  say,  'I  want 
you  to  preach  the  straight  truth  for  once;  will  you?' 

"My  heart  said,  'I  will.' 

"  'But  if  you  do,  you  may  be  stopped.' 

"  'Well,'  said,  I,  'I  will  go  on  till  I  am  stopped.' 

"  'You,  probably,  never  will  be  permitted  to  preach  again.' 
25 


358  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

"'I  will  go  the  straight  \vay  for  this  once,  if  it  is  the  end 
of  my  preaching.'  " 

C.  H.  Underwood,  at  that  time  a  business  man  in  St. 
Louis,  but  who  was  afterward  converted  and  became  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel,  once  told  the  writer,  that  Mr.  Redfield's 
sermon  that  night  was  awful,  in  its  arraignment  of  the  un- 
saved and  particularly  the  unsaved  of  the  church,  before  the 
bar  of  God. 

In  the  pulpit  and  around  it,  were  seated,  two  presiding 
elders,  one  church  editor,  and  several  city  pastors.  While 
the  sermon  was  in  progress,  these  men  seemed  to  listen  in 
breathless  amazement.  Many  were  smitten  by  conviction 
that  night,  among  whom  was  Mr.  Underwood. 

The  next  night,  as  Mr.  Redfield  was  walking  down  the 
aisle  to  the  pulpit,  Doctor  Williams  met  him,  and  said: 

"I  have  received  a  strange  letter  from  the  official  board. 
Let  us  go  into  the  parsonage  and  read  it." 

When  Mr.  Redfield  opened  it  he  found  it  to  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"ST.  Louis,  Jan.  20,  1859. 
"To  Rev.  Dr.  Williams: 

"Dear  Brother3: — The  undersigned  members  of  the  offi- 
cial board  of  Ebenezer  charge  have  witnessed  with  regret 
the  unprecedented  conduct  of  Dr.  Redfield  since  the  com- 
mencement of  his  labors,  and  more  especially  on  last  night. 
Shocked  at  his  proceedings,  and  believing  that  his  labors  are 
calculated  to  do  more  harm  than  good,  by  creating  schism 
and  dissension  in  the  church,  and  feeling  an  abiding  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  the  church,  and  prosperity  of  the  cause, 
earnestly  request  that  you  quietly  tell  Dr.  Redfield  that  he 
cannot  occupy  the  pulpit  any  more. 

"Yours  respectfully, 

"J.  W.  HEATH, 
"D.  CAUGHLIN, 
"J.  W.  HATHAWAY, 

"WM.  SCHUREMAN." 


SHUT  OUT  BY  TRUSTEES.  359 

Mr.  Red  field  was  greatly  shocked,  to  see  that  so  few 
could  re'verse  the  action  of  the  quarterly  conference;  that 
this  could  take  place  in  so  short  a  time ;  and  that  part  of  the 
complaints  were  of  matters  that  occurred  before  the  action 
of  the  quarterly  conference  that  invited  him  to  hold  the 
meetings;  and  he  said  to  Dr.  Williams: 

'Can  you  tell  me  why  there  are  so  few  names  to  this 
letter?" 

"This  is  from  the  board  of  trustees,  and  the  trustees  can 
control  me  and  the  pulpit.  I  am  sorry",  said  he,  "but  I  can- 
not help  it;  you  and  I  are  good  friends." 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "what  shall  I  do?  Should 
I  go  into  the  church  to-night?" 

"I  think,"  said  he,  "you  had  better  not." 

Mr.  Redfield  sent  some  one  in  to  call  out  his  wife,  and 
while  waiting  for  her  to  come  out,  he  was  approached  by 
one  who  said,  "Is  anything  amiss?" 

"No,"  answered  he,  only  the  board  of  trustees  have  ic- 
quested  the  doctor  to  shut  me  out  of  the  pulpit." 

Another  said,  "That  is  one  of  Williams'  tricks." 

"No,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  "that  cannot  be,  for  I  read  the 
letter  and  saw  the  names  of  those  who  signed  it." 

It  was  soon  whispered  through  the  church,  that  Mr. 
Redfield  was  shut  out  of  the  pulpit,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
the  congregation  arose  and  left  the  house. 


CHAPTER    LV. 

THE  next  morning  Mr.  Redfield  called  on  Dr.  Williams, 
and  secured  a  copy  of  the  letter  from  the  official  board,  and 
asked  for  his  own  and  his  wife's  church  letters.  Referring 
to  this,  he  says: 

"I  incidentally  remarked  that  I  should  either  go  into  a 
free  state  or  join  one  of  the  other  Northern  Methodist 
churches  in  the  city.  And  I  took  a  copy  of  the  letter  from 
the  trustees  in  order  to  refute  the  charge  that  Dr.  Williams 
was  its  author.  On  my  way  home  I  met  one  who  thus 
charged  him,  and  I  said,  *Here  is  a  copy  of  that  letter,  and 
it  shows  that  you  are  mistaken.'  He  read  it,  and  then  replied, 
'Only  one  of  those  men  is  a  trustee;  and  now  I  know  that 
Williams  is  at  the  bottom  of  this  affair.' 

"Here,  then,  were  the  names  of  four  persons  who  attempt- 
ed to  rule  the  whole  congregation,  and  one  trustee  to  rule  a 
whole  quarterly  conference. 

"From  this  brother  I  now  learned  that  seventy-two  mem- 
bers of  the  church  had  held  a  meeting  the  night  before  and 
sent  the  following  declaration  to  the  official  board: 

"  'To  the  members  of  the  Official  Board  of  the  Ebenezer 
charge  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church: 

"'Brethren:  —  Whereas,  by  the  uncalled-for  exercise  of 
official  power  of  a  few  individuals  of  Ebenezer  charge  in  the 
city  of  St.  Louis,  which  has  lately  taken  place,  whereby  a 
large  proportion  of  the  members  of  said  church  have  been 
deprived  of  their  rights  and  privileges  guaranteed  to  them, 
as  we  believe  by  the  word  of  God,  and  the  Discipline  of  the 
church;  and,  whereas  we  deem  it  our  duty  to  state  the  causes 
which  have  induced  us  to  separate  ourselves  from  said  church, 
as  well  as  to  assure  our  brethren  from  whom  we  have  thus 
separated,  that  in  so  doing  we  have  no  other  motive  than  the 
promotion  of  the  cause  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 

(880)     . 


A  MEMORIAL.  361 

exercise  of  those  privileges  which  we  have  lately  been  de- 
prived of  by  the  unlawful  exercise  of  a  power  never  intended 
to  be  invested  in  these  four  men  holding  official  position  in 
said  church;  ?nd,  whereas,  we  do  not  believe  in  the  'one-man 
power,'  nor  the  unlawful  exercise  of  an  authority  of  four 
men,  never  conferred  upon  them,  and  that  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  an  unholy  purpose,  such  as  has  lately  occurred, 
which  we  deem  oppressive  and  unjust,  before  God  and  man; 
therefore, 

"Resolved,  that  we  ask  the  privilege,  as  we  claim  the 
right,  of  adhering  to,  and  continuing  in,  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  both  from  principle,  and  from  a  firm  belief  in 
the  doctrines  of  said  church. 

"Resolved,  2.  That  we  have  the  utmost  confidence  in' 
the  Christian  character  and  the  holiness  of  purpose  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Redfield,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  that  his  close-pointed  preaching  of  the  gospel  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  usage  of  the  primitive  church'in  bringing 
sinners  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

"Resolved,  3.  That  we  hold  the  mandate  issued  by  the 
four  officials  in  Ebenezer  charge,  excluding  Dr.  Redfield 
from  the  pulpit,  thereby  denying  him  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing to  a  congregation  assembled  for  that  purpose,  as  unjusti- 
fiable, unauthorized  by  the  Discipline,  and  ruinous  to  the 
church. 

"Resolved,  4.  That  this  unjustifiable  and  high-handed 
breach  of  trust,  by  the  said  four  officials,  deprives  us  of  the 
social  and  religious  privileges  we  have  heretofore  enjoyed  in 
said  church;  and  being  thus  deprived  by  the  arbitrary  act  of 
said  officials  from  the  privileges  aforesaid,  we  feel  we  have 
no  other  alternative  than  to  separate  ourselves  from  said 
Ebenezer  charge,  which  we  have  now  done  in  the  fear  of 
God,  who  will  judge  our  action  in  the  great  day  of  account. 

"Resolved,  5.     That  we  do   hereby  solemnly  protest  in 


362  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

the  name  of  the  great  I  Am,  against  the  course  pursued  by 
these  officials  in  Ebenezer  charge  toward  Rev.  Dr.  Red  field, 
and  also  against  the  known  wishes  of  a  large  majority  of 
the  said  church  and  congregation. 

"Resolved,  6.  That  a  committee  of  three  of  our  num- 
ber be  appointed  to  attend  the  next  official  meeting  of  Eben- 
ezer charge,  to  lay  before  it  this  preamble  and  these  resolu- 
tions, and  ask  that  they  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the 
board." 

When  this  paper  was  presented  there  were  attached  to  it 
the  signatures  of  ninety  members  of  the  church. 

These  members  began  now  to  call  for  their  church  letters. 
At  first,  Dr.  Williams  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from 
their  purpose,  and  after  granting  the  request  of  twenty,  he 
then  refused  to  give  any  more.  When  at  last  he  saw  the 
blame  thrown  upon  those  four  men,  he  acknowledged  him- 
self to  be  the  author  of  that  letter.  Thus  the  whole  thing 
proved  to  be  a  fraud  perpetrated  by  himself. 

There  is  in  this  document,  addressed  to  the  official  board, 
an  evidence  of  haste.  Probably  a  delay  of  a  few  days  would 
have  made  a  great  difference  in  the  character  of  that  paper. 
But  there  was  strife  in  the  air  that  affected  this  movement, 
which  was  not  clearly  apprehended  by  some  of  the  actors. 
The  following  letter  to  the  Northern  Independent,  written 
about  this  time,  will  make  this  plain: 

"GREAT  SECESSION  IN  ST.  LOUIS. 

"Mr.  Editor: — I  see  from  the  Central  Advocatf,  pub- 
lished in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  that  there  has  been  a  terrible 
thunderstorm,  a  great  moral  earthquake — a  large  secession 
from  one  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  in  that  citv. 
But  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  this  secession  has  taken  place 
in  slaveholding  territory — in  one  of  the  'border  conferences.' 
It  has  taken  place,  too,  in  a  city  where  there  are  but  two 
copies  of  the  Northern  Independent  taken,  and  they  are  sent 
to  editors  in  exchange.  Yet,  strange  as  it  may  appear, 


ON  THE  GREAT  SECESSION.  363 

Brother  Brooks  charges  that  secession  on  the  Northern 
Independent.  What  a  powerful  influence  the  Independent 
exerts!  From  the  predictions  of  our  church  papers,  I  had 
supposed  that  secessions  were  to  take  place  in  Central  New 
York.  But  lo  and  behold,  it  commences  in  'border 
territory.' 

"From  the  braggadocio  and  insulting  style  of  the  editor, 
I  should  think  him  a  relative  of  'Bully  Brooks,'  of  Washing- 
ton notoriety.  His  editorial  is  unworthy  of  a  Christian  min- 
ister. But  something  must  be  done' to  put  down  Hosmer, 
Mattison,  and  company.  Just  hear  him:  'It  is  high  time 
that  decisive  steps  were  taken  for  the  protection  of  the 
church.  We  seriously  question  the  temporizing  policy 
which  has  been  adopted  by  our  eastern  brethren.' 

"Why,  bless  your  dear  soul,  Brother  Brooks,  the  power 
of  episcopacy  and  of  the  conservative  press,  has  been  in  full 
operation  for  the  last  two  years  to  put  down  our  beloved  In- 
dependent and  its  friends,  but  without  success.  This  'crush- 
ing out  policy'  don't  and  will  not  succeed. 

"But  Mr.  Brooks  is  frank  enough  to  acknowledge  that 
J.  W.  Redfield,  an  itinerant  local  preacher,  has  been  the 
main  instrument  in  bringing  about  the  above-named  secession. 
Now  we  desire  to  state  distinctly  for  the  benefit  of  Brother 
Brooks,  that  Mr.  Redfield  is  in  no  wise  connected  with  the 
Northern  Independent,  nor,  so  far  as  I  know,  in  sympathy 
with  it,  for  he  does  not  take  it.  Moreover,  Mr.  Brooks 
must  know  that  the  Independent  is  not  in  sympathy  with 
that  peculiar  doctrine  advocated  by  Mr.  Redfield.  But 
the  editor  must  have  something  to  rant  about.  I  hope,  after 
this  awful  vomiting  of  bile,  Brother  Brooks' will  himself  be 
greatly  relieved.  Missouri  is  said  to  be  very  bilious  to  old 
conservatives.  M^the  editor  would  take  a  good  dose  of  com- 
mon sense,  he  would  be  greatly  relieved;  otherwise,  I  fear 
his  disease  will  prove  fatal. 

"But  after  all  the  rant  and  cant  about   secession,  Brother 


364  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Brooks  says:  'We  have  not  directed  attention  to  this  subject, 
because  we  have  any  apprehension  that  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  is  in  any  danger.'  Good.  You  think  just  as 
many  do  in  this  region,  Brother  Brooks.  No,  my  good 
brother,  the  Independent  will  not  injure  the  church,  so  shed 
no  more  crocodile  tears. 

"Allow  me,  Brother  Hosmer,  to  thank  Mr.  Brooks  for 
bringing  the  Independent  to  the  notice  of  his  readers  in 
slave  territory. 

"April  20,  1859.  "THE  SPY." 

This  letter  indicates  that  an  effort  was  made  by  Mr. 
Brooks,  editor  of  the  Central  Christian  Advocate,  to  con- 
nect the  disturbance  in  Ebenezer  church  with  the  Independ- 
ent. We  have  already  noticed  the  origin  and  character  of 
that  paper.  William  Hosmer,  its  editor,  was  a  strong  be- 
liever in  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  and  much  in  sympathy 
with  the  pilgrims  in  Western  New  York,  and  the  columns 
of  his  paper  often  rang  with  warnings  to  the  officials  of  the 
church  against  the  high-handed  usurpations  of  power  on  the 
part  of  subordinates  in  the  church,  aimed  at  the  crushing  out 
of  the  holiness  revival. 

For  years  a  hot  discussion  had  been  going  on  in  the 
church  papers  over  the  doctrine  of  holiness  itself.  Nathan 
Bangs,  Jesse  T.  Peck,  Joseph  Hartwell,  and  others,  had 
written  in  defense  of  it.  They  held  to  the  doctrine  as  taught 
by  the  Wesleys.  Hiram  Mattison,  C.  P.  Bragdon,  and  many 
others,  had  written  against  it.  The  writings  of  Mattison  had 
slowly,  but  surely,  poisoned  the  theology  of  many  of  the 
ministry,  who  st9ocl  ready,  by  one  means  and  another,  to  hin- 
der and  crush  out  the  teaching  of  Wesleyan  views. 

The  cringing  attitude  of  the  church  on  U«slavery  ques- 
tion had  developed  a  policy  of  administration,  and  even  of 
preaching  along  the  border  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  that 
was  destructive  to  independence  of  character  except  in  oppo- 
sition to  every  form  of  radicalism.  This  policy-spirit  had 


THE  FEELING  WHICH  FOLLOWED.  365 

undermined  the  spiritual  life,  and  the  conscience  of  the 
church,  until  such  things  as  have  heen  recorded  in  this  chap- 
ter were  possible  with  both  the  ministry  and  the  laity. 

When  men  got  their  eyes  open  to  the  real  character  of 
this  spirit,  they  were  filled  with  horror  and  distrust  of  those 
who  still  were  actuated  by  it.  Mr.  Redfield's  preaching  left 
no  middle  ground.  He  poured  such  floods  of  light  upon  the 
motives  of  men  that  they  could  but  see  themselves  in  their 
true  character.  Some  repented,  and,  full  of  gratitude  for 
being  saved  from  such  an  abyss  of  moral  corruption,  per- 
haps unwisely,  would  speak  in  strong  approval  of  the  faith- 
fulness of  Mr.  Redfield's  labors.  This  roused  the  jealousy 
of  time-serving  ministers,  and  the  hatred  of  men  who  would 
not  walk  in  the  light.  His  friends  were  of  the  most  spirit- 
ual in  the  church,  his  enemies  of  the  worldly.  The  friend- 
ship of  his  friends  was  strong  as  death,  while  the  enmity  of 
his  enemies  was  bitter  to  the  extreme.  Thus  the  gulf  of 
separation  was  deeper  than  the  width  of  this  church  action 
would  indicate.  Spiritual  men,  on  the  ground,  would  be 
convinced  of  its  impassableness,  when  those  at  a  distance 
would  see  but  little  worthy  of  notice.  Of  the  actors  in  this 
conflict  .we  shall  see  more  by-and-by. 


CHAPTER  LVI. 

A  COMMITTEE  now  waited  on  Mr.  Redficld,  and  asked 
him  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  new  organization.  But  he 
answered,  "I  cannot  do  that  unless  you  are  regularly  organ- 
ized and  recognized  by  the  presiding  elder." 

They  went  to  see  him,  and  he  told  them  he  was  glad  to 
know  of  their  taking  this  course,  and  he  would  recognize 
them.  They  returned  and  drew  up  a  formal  petition  to  that 
effect,  which  was  signed  by«  the  members  interested,  and 
then  presented  to  the  elder  again.  He  now  had  changed  his 
mind,  and  declined  doing  it. 

In  the  meantime,  many  of  those  who  had  withdrawn 
from  Ebenezer  were  demanding  an  organization;  and  if  that 
was  not  done,  they  declared  their  intention  to  join  some 
other  of  the  city. churches;  but  were  unanimous  in  a  deter- 
mination not  to  return  to  the  Ebenezer  church. 

Dr.  Williams  came  to  Mr.  Redfield  soon  after,  and  com- 
manded him  to  bring  back  the  people  he  had  taken  away,  or 
he  would  expel  him,  and  then  publish  him  to  the  world. 

Mr.  Redfield  replied,  "I  cannot  do  that.  I  never  took 
them  away,  and  I  can  never  bring  them  back." 

"You  have  split  my  church  all  to  pieces,"  said  he. 

"You  know  better  than  that,"  was  Mr.  Redfield's  reply. 

Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Redfield  received  the  following 
letter: 

"ST.  Louis,  January  26,  1859. 
"To  Rev.  Dr.  Redfield: 

"Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — We  are  pained  with  the  dis- 
ruption of  our  church,  which  has  occurred  recently  in  this 
citv.  With  the  present  light  upon  the  subject,  we  are  per- 
suaded that  the  responsibility  rests  chiefly  with  you.  That 
a  more  perfect  understanding  may  be  reached,  and  the 
schism,  if  possible,  be  healed,  we  respectfully  ask  an  inter- 

(866) 


ANSWER  TO  THE  REQUEST.  367 

view  with  you  this  afternoon  at  three  o'clock,  at  the  office  of 
the  Central  Christian  Advocate,  97  N.  Fourth  street. 
"We  trust  you  may  not  fail  to  meet  us. 

"Signed, 
"T-HOMAS  WILLIAMS, 

Pastor  of  the  Ebenezer  Church. 
"WINTER  R.  DAVIS, 

Pastor  of  Hedding  Church. 
"JOSEPH  BROOKS, 

Editor  of  the  C.  C.  Advocate." 

In  a  note  at  tne  foot  of  this  letter,  the  time  was  changed 
to  10  a.m.  of  the  next  day. 

Mr.  Redfield  says:  "I  did  not  feel  willing  to  meet  these 
men,  especially  Dr.  Williams,  who  was  capable  of  that  f raud- 
ulent  letter;  and  Mr.  Brooks,  whom  1  tob  well  knew,  from 
report  and  otherwise,  and  trust  myself  with  them.  So  in- 
stead  of  going  to  meet  them  I  thought  it  best  to  answer  the 
call  by  the  following  letter: 

"ST.  Louis,  January  26,  1859.  1I:3°P-  m- 
"To  Rev.  Dr.  Williams,  Rev.  J.  Brooks,  and  Professor  Davis: 
"Dear  Brethren : — Your  note  of  to-day,  received  after 
church,  greatly  surprises  and  grieves  me.  I  know  Brother 
Brooks  intimated  to  me  last  night  that  I  was  the  principal 
cause  of  the  disaffection  complained  of,  but  I  could  not  make 
myself  believe  that  the  sober  second  thought,  after  a  fair  in- 
vestigation, would  at  all  warrant  such  a  conclusion.  I  claim 
to  be  a  North  Methodist,  and  have  tried  to  build  up  the  cause 
of  Wesleyan  Methodism,  and  am  confident  that  all  my  teach- 
ings in  this  city  will  bear  a  comparison  in  their  orthodoxy 
with  our  standard  authors.  I  have  acted  conscientiously  and 
trust  your  charity  will  award  to  me  an  approval  consistent 
with  this  statement.  I  cannot  see  that  I  am  blameworthy  if 
others  show  an  attachment,  as  Methodists,  for  Methodist 
doctrines.  It  is  thought  I  can  heal,  by  correcting  all  the 


368  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

causes  of  the  state  of  affairs  complained  of.  I  honestly  believe 
I  am  not  the  cause,  and  I  feel  just  as  sure  that  I  cannot  heal 
what  I  have  not  wounded.  I  am  willing  to  do,  and  will  do, 
anything  consistent  with  right,  which  you  may  prescribe,  to 
reach  such  an  end.  When  I  took  my  letter  I  did  design, 
quietly,  to  change  my  relation,  either  to  another  Northern 
Methodist  church,  or  to  go  to  a  free  state,  hoping  to  get 
away  from  so  troublesome  a  state  of  things.  I  knew  not 
that  another  person  besides  myself  and  wife  had  any  design 
to  take  letters;  neither  did  I  state  to  any  one  that  I  had  done 
so,  till  I  learned  that  others  had  done  the  same,  fearing  that 
it  would  be  construed  into  hostility  to  Ebenezer  church.  I 
designedly  refrained  from  expressing  opinions,  and  likewise 
from  attending  preliminary  meetings,  having  in  view  steps  of 
separation.  But  when  it  was  announced  that  a  new  organi- 
zation was  a  fact,  and  the  papers  were  duly  made  out  to  pe- 
tition the  elder  to  perfect  the  organization,  and  there  was  a 
unanimous  desire  that  I  should  preach  for  them  until  the 
proper  officers  should  make  provisions  to  supply  them,  I  ac- 
cepted their  invitation,  believing  I  was  violating  no  obliga- 
tions in  so  doing,  as  a  loyal  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  If  others  think  I  have,  and  will  convince  me  of 
the  same,  I  will  correct  my  mistake  if  it  is  in  my  power  to 
do  so. 

"Now  if  you  can  find  one  person  who  has  taken  a  letter, 
and  who  will  state  that  I,  by  word  or  act,  directly  or  indirect- 
ly, have  incited  them  to  do  so,  I  will  quietly  retire  out  of 
your  midst,  into  a  free  state.  Or  if  you  can  find  a  majority  of 
two-thirds,  or  one-quarter,  even,  who  will  state  that  if  I 
were  gone  out  of  the  city  they  would  go  back  and  return 
their  letters  to  Ebenezer,  I  will  then  leave. 

"But  will  you  permit  me  to  ask  you,  brethren,  if  your 
united  wisdom  cannot  devise  some  plan  by  which  the  cause 
of  Methodism  may  be  so  extended  that  \ve  all  can  work 
without  this,  to  me,  very  unpleasant  state  of  things?  I  am 


LETTER  KROM  MR.  WILLIAMS.  369 

ready  to  serve  the  church  free  of  charge,  and  I  ask,  will  you 
not  try  some  plan  to  meet  the  increasing  demands  of  this 
great  city?  Will  you  not  try  in  your  wisdom  to  husband 
the  present  tide  of  religious  influence?  Are  we  not  brethren? 
and  shall  we  not  harmonize  in  the  great  battle  for  the  right? 
I  will  do  anything  that  is  right  at  your  suggestion  to  reach 
so  happy  an  end.  God  knows  I  desire  to  see  St.  Louis  saved, 
and  a  fair  proportion  of  the  people  gathered  into  our  beloved 
North  church.  I  trust  you  will  weigh  my  motives  in  an 
even  balance,  when  I  state  to  you  that  I  have  no  personal  in- 
terest to  serve  in  the  part  I  act  in  trying  to  promote  this  end. 
"I  have  chosen  to  write  what  I  have  to  say  to  you,  that  I 
might  say  it  more  deliberately,  and  that  you  might  review 
at  any  time  what  I  have  said,  in  making  up  your  minds. 
''Yours,  most  respectfully, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

The  next  day  he  received  the  following  reply: 

"ST.  Louis,  January  27,  1859. 
"To  Dr.  Redfield : 

'Dear  Brother: — As  you  have  declined  to  meet  with  the 
pastors  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  this  city,  this 
morning,  according  to  our  request,  to  endeavor  to  heal  the 
unfortunate  disruption,  that  has  taken  place  since  you  came 
to  this  city,  we  feel  compelled  by  a  stern  sense  of  duty,  in 
the  fear  of  God,  as  pastors  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  to  seek  an  adjustment  of  this  painful  affair  in  an- 
other form,  so  far  as  your  responsibilities  are  involved  in  the 
matter.  Therefore,  at  the  request  of  these  pastors,  it  becomes 
my  painful  duty  to  request,  in  accordance  with  the  Discipline 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  that  you  deposit  your 
letter  without  delay  in  one  of  the  charges  of  this  city,  and 
have  your  name  enrolled  in  a  class-book. 
"Yours  respectfully, 

"THOMAS  WILLIAMS." 


370  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Mr.  Red  field  says: 

MI  had  a  warning  not  three  hours  before,  and  I  believe 
from  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  trouble  was  ahead,  and  said  to 
my  wife,  'Something  is  coming,  and  I  feel  impressed  to  send 
our  church  letters  away  at  once.*  So  I  had  a  letter  written, 
and  our  church  letters  inclosed  in  it,  and  sent  to  the  post 
office,  and  then  went  to  church.  At  the  close  of  the  service 
I  received  Dr.  Williams'  reply.  He  came  to  me  soon  after, 
and  said,  he  should  now  go  'war  to  the  knife.'*  Others  said, 
a  plan  was  being  laid  to  compel  me  to  leave  the  city ;  and 
that  a  course  was  to  be  pursued  that  would  shut  me  out  from 
all  Methodist  churches  of  the  land.  Another  friend  came  to 
me  with  the  word  that  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  the 
preachers  would  raise  a  mob  against  me,  by  the  cry  that  I 
was  an  Abolitionist.  Then  Dr.  Williams  came  to  me  one 
Saturday,  and  said,  'If  you  will  go  to  our  church  once  to- 
morrow, I  will  let  you  off;  and  I  promised  him  I  would. 
When  my  friends  found  this  out,  they  stoutly  resisted  it,  as 
they  felt  sure  there  was  a  plot  of  some  kind  in  it.  But  I 
thought  I  would  risk  it  and  keep  my  word;  but  I  was  taken 
suddenly  sick,  and  was  unable  to  get  out  for  three  weeks. 
I  suffered  much  from  fear  and  grief.  Every  noise  at  night 
seemed  to  me  like  the  noise  of  a  mob,  and  I  expected  to  see 
the  windows  burst  in  at  any  moment.  I  was  grieved  to  think 
that  ministers  in  my  beloved  church  would  resort  to  such 
means  to  accomplish  wicked  ends.  I  became  so  sick  that  I 
despaired  of  life,  and  said  to  my  wife,  'You'll  have  to  leave 
my  bones  in  St.  Louis.'  At  the  end  of  this  time  I  was  taken 
to  the  church  one  Sunday  morning,  in  a  close  carriage,  and 
as  I  entered,  the  singers  sang,  as  a  voluntary, 
'Jesus  look  with  pitying  eye, 
Saviour  help  me  or  I  die.' 
Oh,  how  I  felt  the  meaning  of  every  word!  On  attempting 

*The  writer,  when  a  pastor  in  St.  Lonis  in  1888,  was  told  by  a  lady  that  she 

heard  Dr.  Williams  make  that  declaration  in  front  of  the  church  where  Mr.  B 

was  then  laboring. 


THE  CONFLICT  HOT  IN  ST.  LOUIS.  371 

to  read  a  hymn,  I   found  that   my  eyesight   had  failed,  and 
from  that  time  I  had  to  wear  glasses. 

"I  was  soon  able  to  resume  the  charge  of  the  society,  and 
we  thought  it  best  that  we  should  form  ourselves  into  a 
Methodist  church  on  the  Congregational  plan,  but  adding  a 
rule  against  slavery.  In  the  meantime  I  thought  best  to 
prepare  to  let  the  annual  conference  adjust  our  difficulties. 
Some  said  there  was  no  use,  but  I  thought  there  was.  But 
sure  enough,  when  the  time  came,  the  conference  refused  to 
look  into  the  matter.  At  last  we  settled  down  to  look  after 
our  work.  New  appointments  sprang  up,  and  calls  began 
to  come  for  me  to  labor.  Visitors  came  from  Richmond, 
Virginia,  New  Orleans,  Natchez,  Baltimore,  Chicago,  and 
other  places;  who  had  heard  so  much  about  us.  They  came 
to  see  for  themselves,  and  said,  'This  is  what  we  need  at  our 
place.'  So  the  good  work  went  on." 

The  conflict  continued  to  rage  hotly  in  St.  Louis  for 
considerable  time,  as  the  sequel  shows.  During  this  time 
Mr.  Redfield  wrote  the  following  letters,  which  are  of  inter- 
est by  way  of  throwing  light  upon  the  character  of  events 
then  occurring,  and  also  by  way  of  revealing  the  true  char- 
acter of  the  man  himself: 

"Sr.  Louis,  Mo.,  Dec.  25,  1858. 

"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — We  received  a  letter  from 
Brother  Hicks  last  evening,  from  which  we  learned  the  re- 
sults of  the  Laymen's  Convention  at  Albion,  but  not  all  the 
particulars. 

"We  are  now  settled  for  the  present  in  this  wicked  city, 
and  are  trying  to  clear  away  the  rubbish  so  as  to  get  down 
to  the  foundation  rock.  The  no.velty  of  the  doctrine  of  holi- 
ness, and  the  measures  we  use,  as  well  as  the  little  power 
sometimes  manifested,  is  startling  to  them  here.  One  man 
lost  his  strength  night  before  last,  and  fell  back  on  the  floor. 
Some  say  such  a  thing  never  took  place  in  Ebenezer  church 
before.  Some  few  profess  to  have  received  the  blessing  of 


37^  I-" -K  <>!•  JOHN  W.  RKDKIKLD. 

perfect  love,  but  tbe  stamp  does  not  come  quite  up  to  my 
wishes.  Most  of  the  people  seem  sincere,  but  timid  and 
halting.  Among  the  reclaimed  backsliders  is  the  son  of 
Father  Wait,  of  Albion.  He  has  been  backslidden  for  fif- 
teen years.  He  is  one  of  the  city  justices,  has  a  great  deal 
of  energy,  and  uses  it  among  his  associates,  lawyers  and 
others,  and  deals  as  plainly  with  the  church  as  Brother  Purdy 
used  to,  is  just  about  as  impulsive,  and  feels  he  has  a  duty  to 
do,  and  I  am  of  the  same  impression.  We  have  a  few  here 
who  know  what  salvation  is,  and  they  stand  up  in  defense  of 
the  definite  work.  How  it  will  finally  turn  I  cannot  say,  but 
hope  and  pray  that  before  the  fight  comes  on,  which  surely 
will  come,  that  God  may  have  one  victory  which  will  estab- 
lish a  gospel  standard. 

"Our  church  is  quite  central,  but  small  and  old,  while  the 
South  church  has  its  full  supply  of  large  commanding 
churches,  proud,  fashionable,  and  world-loving.  They 
frown  upon  the  North  church,  call  us  intruders,  and  set  us 
down  with  negroes  (bless  the  Lord!).  But  the  strong  gos- 
pel doctrines  are  taking  hold  of  the  honest-hearted  sinners, 
and  I  hope  they  will  have  one  chance  to  show  what  they  can 
do. 

"I  can  see  that  Brother  Kendall's  triumphant  translation 
has  done  for  the  pilgrims-  what  nothing  else  could  have 
done.  That  solemn  vow  of  the  preachers  over  his  coffin  has 
told  upon  that  little  band,  and  nerved  them  to  acts  which  are 
felt  for  God.  He  died  well.  The  pilgrims  saw  the  divine 
approval  of  his  course.  Those  who  waited  to  see  how  he 
would  fare  have  been  thrown  upon  their  own  resources. 
The  gospel  did  not  succeed  so  well  until  after  our  Lord's 
ascension. 

UI  am  strongly  impressed  that  God  designs  in  this  move- 
ment, to  fit  the  pilgrim  preachers  for  their  work.  How 
could  they  better  learn  to  guard  the  entrance  to  the  Christian 
ministry  than  by  their  sufferings  from  bad  men  in  the  ranks? 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  FOOT.  373 

The  experience  they  are  obtaining  will  help  them,  when 
the  time  comes,  to  frame  a  discipline  that  will  put  the  devil 
to  many  years  of  hard  toil  to  get  it  tangled  up  again.  I  am 
sure  the  movement  must  end  in  division  and  a  new  church 
at  last;  and  yet  I  hope  they  will  hold  on  until  pushed  from 
the  last  plank. 

"Firm  in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  his  might, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

"ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  Jan.  13,  1859. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Foot: — We  have  long  con- 
templated writing  to  you,  but  the  great  number  of  our  cor- 
respondents, and  the  fact  that  we  had  written  to  some  in  St. 
Charles,  has  caused  this  delay.  We  greatly  desire  to  hear 
from  you,  and  are  particularly  desirous  to  know  how  matters 
have  turned  in  that  region. 

"We  have  reason  to  believe  God  sent  us  to  this  city. 
The  contest  is  very  severe.  Presiding  elders  and  other 
preachers,  who  have  advised  the  members  to  conform  to  the 
world,  are  greatly  stirred.  But  God  is  raising  up  witnesses 
to  testify  to  the  fullness  of  salvation.  Members  of  other 
churches  are  taking  a  bold  stand  for  the  truth.  Some  have 
expressed  a  great  interest  in  the  doctrine  of  holiness.  One 
Congregationalist  has  experienced  it,  and  now  blazes  with 
the  fullness.  A  goodly  number  of  Methodists  now  rejoice  in 
a  complete  salvation.  But  the  jeweled  saints  fight  with  a 
zeal  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

"Some  ask  me  to  go  into  other  churches  and  preach  this 
blessed  fullness  there.  Some  ask  me  to  set  up  a  new  church, 
and  many  outsiders  and  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists 
are  ready  to  sustain  it. 

"The  powers  of  our  church  permitted  me  to  preach  a 
few  times,  and  as  the  people  received  it  the  slaying  power 
came,  and  then  they  "stopped  me.  They  tried  to  get  along 

alone  a  few  nights,  but   they  could  not  make  it  move;  and 
26 


374  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

then  they  called  for  me  again,  and  again  the  work  moved 
•with  power.  Then  there  was  shouting,  and  that  was  stopped, 
and  I  was  stopped  again.  Again  they  tried  to  make  the 
work  go  their  way,  but  it  would  not  move.  I  am  now  holding 
off,  and  shall  continue  to  do  so  until  they  pledge  themselves 
that  Bible  religion  shall  be  sustained.  The  outside  pressure 
upon  them,  to  have  me  preach,  is  getting  very  strong,  and 
the  contest  waxes  hotter  and  hotter.  I  am  calmly  waiting, 
standing  still  to  see  the  salvation  of  God. 

"You  would  not  wonder  at  this,  if  you  could  see  the  jew- 
els, flummeries,  feathers,  and  the  whole  wardrobe  of  perdition, 
passing  on  the  backs  of  Methodists,  like  loaded  camels.  And 
further  to  hear  some  backsliders  confess  their  wrong,  and 
then  declare  that  preachers  had  told  them  to  'Dress  up; — put 
on  all  you  can  get  on ;  and  shine  in  the  world.'  And  further, 
that  they  need  not  attend  class,  etc.  You  cannot  wonder 
that  such  kind  of  stuff  and  Bible  religion  will  strike  fire 
when  they  come  together.  How  matters  will  turn  I  don't 
know.  One  tiling  I  do  know.  God  helping  me  I  will  stand 
for  truth  or  die  trying.  I  know  you  pray  for  us.  I  do  not 
ask  you  to  pray  that  we  may  be  released  from  the  burden, 
the  labor  or  the  reproach,  but  that  our  faith  and  fidelity  fail 
not. 

•'Yours  affectionately, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

"ST.  Louis,  Jan.  30,  1859. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Foot: — Your  letter  was  duly 
received.  Glad  we  were,  indeed,  to  hear  from  you.  Yet 
we  are  sorry  that  salvation  cannot  have  a  fair  chance  in  St. 
Charles,  to  save  and  bless  the  people  with  a  full  salvation. 

"We  are  now  convinced  that  God  sent  us  to  St.  Louis. 
But  such  a  battle  we  never  had  before.  Our  pastor  blew  up 
the  official  board  for  introducing  a  resolution  to  invite  me  to 
conduct  the  meetings.  I  was  called  upon,  however,  to 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  FOOT.  375 

preach,  and  the  Bible  salvation  took  most  wonderfully.  The 
people  came  out  in  great  numbers,  and  then  the  preacher 
stopped  me.  The  people  urged,  and  now  and  then  he  would 
permit  me  to  preach,  and  when  the  house  would  fill  up  he 
would  stop  me  again.  The  church  murmured,  and  he- 
threatened  to  leave.  On  the  zoth,  I  went  into  the  church  to 
preach,  when  he  took  me  into  the  parsonage,  and  showed  me 
a  letter  from  the  official  board  forbidding  me  to  preach 
again.  The  people  found  it  out,  and  seventy-two  members 
demanded  their  letters.  I  asked  how  it  happened  that  the 
leaders'  names  were  not  on  the  letters;  and  he  said  it  came 
from  the  trustees.  Then  it  came  out  that  only  one  of  the 
four  names  was  that  of  a  trustee.  When  the  people  repudiat- 
ed the  dictatorship  of  the  four  men,  the  preacher  owned  up 
that  he  was  the  author  of  the  letter.  The  people  then 
formed  a  new  church  at  once,  with  the  promise  of  150  mem- 
bers. The  preacher  lays  the  separation  to  me,  and  has 
demanded  my  letter,  and  threatens  to  expel  me,  and  cut  off 
all  that  left.  He  has  got  the  presiding  elder,  the  editor,  and 
all  the  conference  preachers  on  his  side  against  us,  but  the 
outsiders,  and  the  members  of  other  churches,  sympathized 
with  us,  and  opened  a  fine  church  for  our  use.  This  made 
our  enemies  more  angry  than  before.  God  came  in  power, 
and  sinners  ha  ye  been  saved.  The  people  and  the  Lord 
seemed  to  leave  them,  and  then  they  threatened  us  with  war 
to  the  knife.  It  so  happened  that  I  expressed  no  opinion 
about  dividing,  nor  counseled  it  directly  or  indirectly,  but  I 
have  to  bear  the  blame.  Our  friends  have  drawn  up  a 
writing,  stating  positively  that  I  did  nothing  in  any  way  to 
promote  the  separation,  which  they  have  all  signed.  This 
has  been  published.  Then  came  a  charge  that  I  split  the 
St.  Charles'  church;  but  a  man  from  there  happened  along 
here,  who  gave  the  facts,  and  that  story  was  spoiled. 

"I   am  waiting  now  to  have  the  organization  perfected, 
when    I  expect  again  to   enter  the  field.     We   need  your 


376  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDI  II.I.D. 

prayers,  that  God  may  defend  the  cause  of  righteousness. 
Holiness  is  our  theme.  God  comes  in  power.  Mattic  says, 
such  a  class  meeting  as  she  attended  to-day  she  never  attended 
before.  There  were  ten  seekers  of  religion. 

"Many  honest-hearted  sinners  desire  that  we  build  a  new 
church  of  our  own,  and  are  ready  to  help. 
"Yours  in  love, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Kendall  dated  February  17,  after  re- 
counting the  history  of  the  work  in  St.  Louis  down  to  that 
dale,  almost  exactly  as  in  the  foregoing  letter,  he  says: 

"Now  the  question  comes  up:  Where  shall  we  attach 
ourselves?  We  have  offered  ourselves  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  they  spurn  us.  We  cannot  go  to  the 
Methodist  Church  South  on  account  of  slavery.  We  are 
Methodists,  and  cannot  be  anything  else.  I  said  to  them, 
'Perhaps  the  pilgrims  of  Western  New  York  will  receive 
you,  and  look  after  you.' 

"So  they  have  organized  congregationally  until  they  can 
open  up  negotiations  with  the  East.  We  have  written  to 
Brother  Roberts  to  come  on  and  take  charge.  There  are  a 
number  of  other  places  where  matters  are  somewhat  as  they 
are  here. 

"I  must  go  up  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  next  week,  if  it  is  at 
all  possible,  to  hold  another  meeting  this  season.  That  is 
about  130  miles  north,  on  the  river. 

"The  opposition  have  sent  for  Bishop  Janes  to  come  and 
help  them  out  of  their  difficulty.  He  is  expected  to-day. 
But  it  is  too  late.  The  new  church  voted  night  before  last, 
to  make  no  further  attempt  at  reconciliation. 

"I  have  for  years  seen  that  we  must  come  to  this;  but 
never  once  supposed  that  it  would  be  done  in  my  day.  But 
we  are  forced  into  it. 

"I  think  I  never   suffered  more  in  so  short  a  time  in  my 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  FOOT. 


377 


life,  than  while  I  have  been  here.     The  trouble  laid  me  up, 
sick-a-bed   for  a  fortnight,  but  I  dared  not  run.     It  cheers 
my  heart  to  think  that  the  pilgrims  are  praying  for  me. 
"Yours, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD.'' 

On  March  2,  1859,  he  wrote  again  to  Brother  and  Sister 
Foot  of  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  as  follows: 

"My  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Foot: — Your  welcome  and 
cheering  letter  of  February  27,  was  received  last  night.  I 
answer  thus  early,  and  your  questions  in  particular,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  form  a  just  opinion  of  all  matters  pertaining 
to  the  division  here. 

"The  Ebenezer  charge,  when  the  division  of  the  church 
on  the  question  of  slavery  occurred,  eleven  years  ago,  had 
more  members  and  better  prospects  than  at  the  time  of  our 
arrival  here  last  fall.  At  the  last  conference  there  were  re- 
ported 140  members.  Those  who  have  left  to  form  the  new 
church  are  all  the  spiritual  members  of  the  flock,  with  a  few 
exceptions.  Over  one  hundred  of  them  left.  Seven  of  them 
are  local  preachers.  There  are  a  few  spiritual  ones  left,  but 
their  hearts  are  with  us.  Before  deciding  to  forma  new 
church,  several  joined  the  South  church,  and  a  large  portion 
of  the  remainder  were  determined  to  go  to  some  other 
church  if  we  did  not  organize.  To  save  them  to  the  church 
North,  it  was  necessary  to  form  a  new  society.  Just  at  the 
time  when  we  were  discussing  the  question,  Where  can  we 
hold  meetings?  and  a  committee  was  seeking  a  place,  a  gen- 
tleman, the  owner  of  a  large  church,  offered  it  to  us,  on  such 
terms  that  we  accepted  it;  It  is  in  the  heart  of  the  city, 
large  and  commodious.  It  was  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Baptists,  but  about  this  time  the  society  broke  up. 

"If  the  new  society  was  to  dissolve  to-day,  it  is  not  likely 
that  ten  of  the  members  would  return  to  the  Ebenezer 
church.  They  have  organized  under  a  congregational  form 
of  government,  and  will  wait  until  conference  to  see  what  is 


378  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

best  to  be  clone.  If  at  conferercc  they  cannot  get  a  pledge 
to  be  supplied  with  Methodist  preachers,  at  least  religiously 
inclined,  they  will  then  unite  with  the  pilgrims  of  Western 
New  York.  The  pilgrims  here  have  not  as  much  of  the 
laboring  power  as  they  need,  but  they  are  seeking  it.  And 
yet  they  are  comparatively  free  to  what  they  were  before 
they  left.  There,  if  any  got  to  shouting  or  exhorting,  the 
preacher  would  stop  them,  and  in  private  call  them  'gran- 
nies.' 

"Already  we  have  a  large,  growing  Sunday-school,  and 
are  looking  for  one  or  two  more  places  in  which  to  hold 
meetings,  with  the  hope  of  establishing  new  societies. 

"The  people  say  we  must  not  leave  St.  Louis,  but  I  see 
they  are  leaning  upon  us.  I  dare  not  tell  them,  but  I  always 
feel  like  running  away  when  I  see  symptoms  of  that  nat- 
ure. The  most  of  those  left  in  the  old  church,  you  may  set 

down  as  like  Brothers  , ,  and  Sister ,  except 

the  few  I  spoke  of,  who,  like  Nicodemus,  are  disciples,  but 
secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  The  piety,  the  talent,  and 
the  working  force,  are  in  the  new  organization. 

"God  is  with  us,  and  the  number  is  daily  increasing.  Our 
church  on  Sundays  is  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and 
many  are  obliged  to  go  away  for  lack  of  accommodations. 

"Dr.  Williams  and  the  few  who  stand  by  him,  have  been 
trying  every  possible  way  to  upset  and  destroy  us,  but  so  far 
have  signally  failed.  They  sent  for  Bishop  Janes,  but  since 
he  has  gone,  they  have  lowered  the  tone  of  their  opposition, 
and  their  threatenings  have  ceased.  It  is  surmised  that  the 
bishop  has  advised  this. 

"Wife  and  I  expect  to  go  to  Quincy  for  a  short  time. 
The  people  here  say  we  must  return,  and  stay;  but  I  very 
much  need  rest,  and  I  feel  I  must  have  it.  I  would  gladly 
go  to  St.  Charles  and  spend  a  short  time. 

"Our  fight  here  has  been  the  most  severe  I  have  ever 
known.  I  don't  wonder  that  Satan  contends  sharply  to  hold 


-  MENTAL  CONFLICTS.  379 

his  own  in  this  Vanity  Fair.  Theaters,  masquerade  balls, 
rum  holes,  with  Sabbath  breaking,  abound.  The  churches 
have  so  far  kept  in  the  good  graces  of  his  Satanic  Majesty, 
that  but  little  damage  has  been  done  to  his  kingdom  since 
the  city  has  had  a  being.  Somebody  has  got  to  get  a  broken 
back  for  disturbing  this  state  of  things,  and  it  may  as  well  be 
I  as  anybody.  The  thing  must  be  done,  or  St.  Louis  is 
lost.  I  have  suffered  so  much  that  it  seems  as  though  I  could 
never  go  into  another  such  conflict.  It  laid  me  on  my  back 
for  two  weeks.  I  am  hardly  able  to  do  anything  of  moment 
now.  Yet  God  keeps  my  head  above  water,  and  the  people 
are  very  kind  and  sympathizing.  My  whole  heart  goes  out 
in  prayer  that  God  may  remember  them,  for  they  have  not 
been  ashamed  of  my  chain.  I  tell  you  this  strong  salvation 
makes  strong  friends  and  hot  enemies. 

"I  don't  feel  equal  in  giving  you  advice  in  relation  to 
your  meetings.  Yet  I  must  say,  dear  sister,  I  cannot  see 
how  you  can  be  true  to  God  and  truth,  without  throwing 
your  whole  weight  into  the  scale  of  right.  Will  not  some 
of  the  Marys,  'last  at  the  cross,  and  earliest  at  the  grave,' 
stand  in  the  way  and  lift  up  the  voice  like  a  trumpet?  God's 
cause  must  not  go  down!  But  who  will  hazard  all,  and  die 
a  moral  martyr  for  Crmst? 

"The  Lord  bless  you  all. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

Mr.  Redfield,  during  the  time  of  these  troubles  and  after- 
ward, passed  through  severe  mental  conflicts  in  regard  to  the 
course  he  had  taken.  His  naturally  sensitive  and  shrinking 
nature  drew  back  from  everything  like  severity  and  cruelty. 
Anything  like  mental  or  physical  pain  in  others  would  cause 
him  the  most  intense  anguish.  The  accidental  injury  of  a 
bird,  or  beast,  or  even  a  fly,  would  cause  him  to  weep.  Such 
a  nature  felt  intensely  all  the  attacks  made  upon  ,his  charac- 
ter, the  questioning  of  his  motives,  the  withdrawal  of 
friendship,  and  the  open  hostility  of  his  enemies.  Naturally 


380  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

he  was  a  coward ;  religiously,  the  bravest  and  most  faithful 
of  men.  In  the  pulpit  or  in  the  social  circle,  when  he  felt 
he  stood  forth  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  his  hearers  would  be 
impressed  with  his  bravery  and  fidelity;  but  when  merely 
himself,  they  would  think  him  a  marvel  of  human  weakness. 
He  relates  this  incident  in  his  experience  at  the  time  of  the 
troubles  in  St.  Louis. 

"I  was  now  beset  by  enemies  who  tried  to  annoy  me  in 
every  possible  way ;  and  I  felt  heart-broken  to  think  that 
after  being  so  pressed  in  spirit  and  crowded  by  the 
Lord  to  go  this  thorough  way,  I  must  meet  with  such  oppo- 
sition from  ministers  of  the  gospel.  It  seemed  more  than  I 
could  endure.  And  I  could  but  examine  my  whole  course 
and  motives,  and  then  ask  the  Lord,  'If  I  am  right,  why 
are  these  things  permitted?'  I  was  talking  like  this  to  Sis- 
ter M one  day,  when  she  related  to  me  the  following: 

"'When  we  moved  here  from  Cincinnati  three  years 
ago,  I  told  my  husband  I  could  not  join  the  Southern  church 
for  I  was  an  Abolitionist.  I  went  to  the  Ebenezer  church, 
but  it  was  so  dead  that  I  could  not  think  of  joining  that.  I 
saw  so  little  of  spiritual  life  in  the  city,  that  it  seemed  as 
though  I  could  not  stay  here.  So  I  went  to  the  Lord  about  it 
in  prayer,  and  he  told  me  to  hold  on,  and  he  would  send  a  man 
to  preach  the  true  gospel.  About  the  time  you  came,  I  began 
to  feel  that  the  man  had  come,  but  I  had  heard  nothing 
about  you.  I  said  to  my  husband  one  Sunday  morning,  "I 
must  go  to  Ebenezer  church,  for  I  feel  the  man  has  come  the 
Lord  promised  me  he  would  send."  But  he  said,  "Your  health 
is  so  poor,  it  will  not  do  for  you  to  go;  and  your  doctor  will 
be  displeased."  But  I  felt  I  must  go,  though  the  church 
was  two  miles  away  from  us.  I  finally  persuaded  husband 
to  go  along,  and  when  we  entered  the  door  and  saw  you  in 
the  pulpit,  I  said,  "That  is  the  man  the  Lord  promised 
me."  The  Lord  had  let  me  see  you,  and  I  knew  j'ou.' 

"This  was  of  great  encouragement  to  me,  and  allayed  all 
my  fears  for  the  time  being." 


CHAPTER    LVII. 

INFORMATION  now  came  to  Mr.  Redfield  that  Mr.  Roberts, 
who  had  been  expelled  from  the  Genesee  Conference,  was 
laboring  under  the  auspices  of  a  Laymen's  Convention  held 
in  Albion,  N.  Y.,  during  the  first  part  of  the  winter.  This 
convention  after  remonstrating  against  the  course  of  the  con- 
ference, in  expelling  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  M'Creery,  passed 
a  resolution,  asking  Mr.  Roberts  to  go  through  the  country 
and  discuss  the  action  of  the  conference,  guaranteeing  him 
his  support  while  so  engaged.  When  Mr.  Roberts  was 
called  in,  and  the  resolution  read  to  him,  he  declined  the  re- 
quest, but  offered  to  spend  his  time  for  a  year  in  evangelistic 
work  if  they  desired  it.  The  resolution  was  then  reconsid- 
ered and  changed  to  harmonize  with  that  proposition.  Mr. 
Roberts  and  Mr.  M'Creery  had  appealed  to  the  General 
Conference  which  would  be  held  in  May,  1860,  and  both  had 
united  with  the  church  again,  on  probation,  according  to 
Discipline.  They  did  this  that  they  might  legally  labor  in 
spreading  the  gospel,  while  their  appeals  were  pending.  As 
Mr.  Roberts'  relation  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at 
this  time  was  similar  to  that  of  their  own,  the  new  society  in 
St.  Louis  now  sent  for  him  to  come  and  take  Mr.  Redfield's 
place  for  a  season.  This  would  leave  Mr.  Redfield  free  to 
go  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where  a  field  had  awaited  him  for 
some  time. 

Mr.  Roberts  went,  helped  to  perfect  the  organization, 
and  to  make  a  rule  against  slavery  that  could  not  be  evaded. 
One  of  the  members,  Joseph  Wickersham,  who  for  conscience' 
sake,  when  seeking  perfect  love,  a  few  years  before,  had  set 
at  liberty  $30,0x30  worth  of  slaves,  was  one  of  the  most  ea- 
ger for  such  a  rule.  Thus  on  slave  territory,  these  men  and 
women  who  had  gone  into  this  new  society,  dared  squarely 
to  meet  the  question  of  slavery,  when  the  Methodist  Episco- 

(381) 


382  LIFE  OF  JOHN   \V.  RKDI  II:I,D. 

pal  Church,  as  a  body,  through  its  conferences,  annual  ami 
general,  were  cringing  and  dodging  in  regard  to  it.  This 
circumstance  shows  that  the  difficulty  was  not  with  the  laity, 
but  with  the  ministry ;  and  that  all  their  pleas  of  toleration  for 
slavery  were  baseless.  Many  of  these  persons  were  practical 
business  men,  and  who  knew  the  power  of  prejudice,  and  so- 
cial ostracism,  yet  fearlessly  they  adopted  this  rule  on  slavery 
in  a  slave-holding  city.  Their  action  shows  a  conscientious 
boldness  that  will  honor  their  names  in  time  and  in  eternity. 

The  Laymen's  Convention  under  whose  auspices  Mr. 
Roberts  was  now  laboring,  had  passed  a  resolution,  based  up- 
on Dr.  Abel  Stevens'  declaration  of  the  reserved  power  of 
the  laity  to  correct  the  mal-administration  of  the  ministry, 
viz.:  the  right  to  withhold  supplies.  This  resolution  read  as 
follows: 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  not  aid  in  the  support  of  any 
member  of  the  Genesee  Conference  who  assisted,  either  by 
his  vote,  or  his  influence,  in  the  expulsion  of  Brothers  Rob- 
erts and  M'Creery  from  the  conference  and  the  church,  until 
they  are  re-instated  to  their  former  position;  and  that  we  do 
recommend  all  those  who  believe  that  these  brethren  have 
been  unjustly  expelled  from  the  conference  and  the  church, 
to  take  the  same  course." 

The  resolution  to  employ  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  M'Creery 
reads: 

"Resolved,  That  we  recommend  Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts  and 
Rev.  J.  M'Creery  to  travel  at  large,  and  to  labor,  as  oppor- 
tunity presents,  for  the  promoting  of  the  work  of  God  and 
the  salvation  of  souls." 

The  salary  of  each  was  fixed,  and  a  committee  of  fifteen 
was  appointed  to  collect  the  same. 

The  policy  was  soon  adopted  by  their  enemies,  of  read- 
ing out  of  the  church  as  withdrawn,  all  who  acted  upon  these 
resolutions.  In  some  places  the  numbers  so  cut  off  were  so 
large  that  temporary  organizations  had  to  be  effected  to  pro- 


-ACTION    OF    THE    LAYMEN'S    CONVENTION.  383 

vide  places  of  worship  and  to  appoint  officers  to  take  the 
oversight  of  the  work.  This  made  work  for  the  two  men, 
and  Mr.  Roberts'  visit  to  St.  Louis  was  for  the  same  object. 

The  convention  had  also  adopted  the  following  resolu- 
tion, that  expressed  its  attitude  toward  the  church: 

"Resolved,  That  the  farcical  cry  of  disunion  and  secession 
is  the  artful  production  of  designing  men  to  frighten  the 
feeble  and  timid  into  their  plans  of  operation  and  proscrip- 
tion. We  wish  it  distinctly  understood  that  we  have  not,  and 
never  had,  the  slightest  intention  of  leaving  the  church  of 
our  choice,  and  that  we  heartily  approve  of  the  course  of 
Brothers  Roberts  and  M'Creery  in  rejoining  the  church  at  their 
first  opportunity;  and  we  hope  that  the  oppressive  and  un- 
Methodistic  administration  indicated  in  the  pastoral  address 
(adopted  by  the  Genesee  Conference)  as  the  current  policy 
of  the  majority  of  the  conference,  will  not  drive  any  of  our 
brethren  from  the  church.  Methodists  have  a  better  right 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  than  anybody  else,  and 
by  God's  grace,  in  it  we  intend  to  remain." 

Mr.  Redfield  says  of  the  state  of  affairs  at  this  time  in 
St.  Louis:  "We  now  expected  our  conference  to  set  our 
matters  right,  and  then  to  take  us  into  conference;  but  if 
that  failed,  we  had  one  hope  left,  and  that  was  that  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  to  sit  in  about  one  year,  would  begin  a 
system  of  correction  which  would  eventually  reach  us.  If 
that  failed,  we  would  be  compelled  to  set  up  permanently  for 
ourselves." 

This  expresses  the  state  of  things  in  February,  1859. 
But  little  did  these  laymen  or  ministers  know  what  awaited 
them  in  the  future.  There  was  a  deceptive  quiet,  politically 
throughout  the  nation,  that  proved  to  be  the  precursor  of  a 
terrible  storm  of  civil  war.  The  slumbering  feelings  that 
found  expression  in  that  war,  awed,  and  almost  frightened, 
men  from  their  steadfastness  for  the  truth.  Men,  otherwise 
staunch  and  firm,  proved  unfaithful  and  untrue. 


384  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

The  society  in  St.  Louis  soon  felt  it  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  Mr.  Redfield  to  publish  the  following  resolu- 
tions, which  were  adopted,  and  ordered  to  be  published 
without  his  knowledge: 

"Resolved,  i.  That  we  deem  it  due  to  our  worthy  brother, 
Rev.  Dr.  Redfield,  to  state  that  amid  all  the  difficulties,  as 
well  as  the  causes,  which  have  resulted  in  the  division  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Ebenezer,  in  this  city,  he 
has  stood  aloof,  neither  advising  nor  counseling  us  as  to 
what  course  to  pursue  in  relation  to  said  division;  but  like  a 
man  of  God,  full  of  love  for  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the 
prosperity  of  our  common  Zion,  he  wept  over  the  apparent 
calamities  brought  upon  us  by  the  unwise  conduct  of  those 
assuming  to  have  authority  over  us. 

"Resolved,  2.  That  as  our  brother  is  about  to  leave  us, 
we  commend  him  to  all  the  churches  in  our  beloved  land, 
and  pray  that  the  great  Head  of  the  church  may  shield  and 
protect  him  and  his  devoted  wife,  from  the  persecutions  of 
their  enemies,  as  well  as  the  slanders  the  ungodly  may  send 
after  them. 

"Resolved,  3.  That  the  Central  Christian,  the  North- 
western, and  the  Western  Advocates,  and  the  Christian 
Advocate  and  Journal,  and  those  journals  favorable  to  the 
cause  of  religion,  be  requested  to  publish  these  resolutions. 

"St.  Louis^  February  28,  1859.-" 

These  resolutions  were  signed  by  ninety-four  members  of 
the  society,  and  taken  to  the  Central  Christian  Advocate 
for  publication.  But  the  editor,  Rev.  Joseph  Brooks,  said, 
"Don't  ask  us  to  publish  that,  but  drop  all  matters,  and  be 
still,  and  we  will  be  still.  You  publish  nothing,  and  we  will 
publish  nothing." 

Dr.  Williams  came  to  Mr.  Redfield,  and  asked  him  to 
use  his  influence  to  prevent  the  publication  of  it,  and 
promised  that  they  would  publish  nothing.  Mr.  Redfield 


ARTICLE  BY  SAMUEL  HUFFMAN.  385 

promised  to  do  so,  but  in  a  few  days  the  following  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Central  Christian  Advocate: 

"SPECIAL  REQUEST. 

"Early  in  the  past  winter,  a  Mr.  J.  W.  Redfield,  a  local 
preacher,  claiming  to  be  directly  from  Northern  Illinois  or 
Michigan,  and  more  remotely  from  New  York  or  New  En- 
gland, came  to  this  city.  Being  properly  endorsed  by  the 
authority  of  the  church,  he  was  invited  to  aid  in  a  series  of  re- 
ligious services  in  Ebenezer  church.  During  the  time,  he 
succeeded  (as  I  am  informed)  in  sowing  dissensions  among 
the  members,  and  at  length  publicly  proposed  to  take  a  vote 
of  the  congregation,  as  to  whether  he  should  occupy  the  pul- 
pit. He  was  kindly  invited  to  desist  from  further  occupancy 
of  the  pulpit.  This  he  did;  and  under  a  promise  of  uniting 
with  one  of  the  other  city  charges,  or  of  going  to  Illinois,  he 
asked  and  obtained  from  the  pastor  of  Ebenezer  a  certificate 
of  his  membership  and  official  standing,  giving  assurance,  at 
the  same  time,  that  he  would  in  no  case  have  anything  to  do 
with  separate  services.  In  forty-eight  hours,  I  am  informed, 
he  was  publicly  preaching  to  a  company  of  the  members  of 
Ebenezer  church,  whom  he  had  headed  and  led  off,  organiz- 
ing and  establishing  separate  services  in  another  place,  while 
the  protracted  services  were  still  in  progress  in  Ebenezer 
church. 

"Three  several  times  has  he  been  officially  required  to  de- 
posit his  certificate  in  some  one  of  the  city  charges,  that  he 
might  be  held  to  answer  grave  charges  which  are  pending 
against  him  (and  are  now  in  my  possession),  involving  his 
ecclesiastical  and  Christian  character.  He  has  constantly  re- 
fused to  comply  with  this  requisition,  treating  the  demand 
with  contempt.  Various  statements  have  been  made  by  him- 
self and  friends  as  to  where  he  has  deposited  his  certificate  of 
membership.  At  one  time  it  is  said  to  have  been  sent  to 


386  LIFE  OF  JOHN    \V.   R  i-.m  IKI.I>. 

Illinois;  at  another  to  be  deposited  with  some  church  of  an- 
other denomination.     Thus  the  case  stands. 

"With  many  years'  experience  in  the  church,  I  have  never 
before  known  a  case  involving  so  much  evasion,  unmitigated 
duplicity,  and  contempt  of  the  authority,  order, and  Discipline 
of  the  church. 

"This  note  is  to  request  that  any  minister  or  member  of 
the  M.  E.  Church  having  knowledge  of  where  he  holds  his 
membership,  and  is  ecclesiastically  amenable,  will  give  me 
information  at  once. 

"SAMUEL  HUFFMAN,  P.  E., 
"St.  Louis  District,  Missouri  Conference." 

This  was  copied  in  many,  if  not  in  all,  the  church  papers. 
And,  strange  to  say,  the  minister  who  had  given  the  church 
letter  which  Mr.  Redfield  presented,  and  which  was  publicly 
read  in  the  Ebenezer  church,  knew  of  this  published  request, 
and  yet  never  came  to  his  relief  with  a  statement  of  the  facts. 

A  few  days  after  the  publication  of  that  paper,  a  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  new  church  prepared  a  reply  and 
took  it  to  the  Central  Advocate,  but  the  editor  refused  to 
publish  it.  It  was  then  taken  to  the  St.  Louis  Christian 
Advocate,  the  organ  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  where  it  was  published  in  the  following  form: 

"OUR    NORTHERN     BRETHREN. 

"For  several  weeks  past,  as  we  have  been  informed,  our 
Northern  brethren  in  this  city  have  not  been  in  the  most 
pleasant  state  of  feeling  among  themselves.  Some  difficulty 
occurred  in  the  Ebenezer  church — their  principal  church  in 
the  city — which  soon  resulted  in  the  withdrawal,  in  form  or 
in  fact,  of  one-half,  or  more  than  one-half,  of  the  entire 
membership.  These  'seceders'  (we  use  that  word  in  no 
offensive  sense)  organized  themselves  elsewhere,  and  have 
kept  up  separate  services,  which  are  reported  to  have  been 
interesting  and  profitable;  but  the  gap  between  them  and 


ARTICLE  IN  ST.  Louis  ADVOCATE.  387 

'the  old  church'  (Ebcnczer)  seems,  from  what  we  hear,  to  be 
constantly  widening.  Below,  we  give  place  to  a  communi- 
cation and  explanations,  which  communication  was  intended 
for  another  paper,  but  not  allowed  a  place  in  its  columns. 
We  publish  it  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  several  persons 
who  are  personally  friendly  to  us,  and  subscribers  to  our 
paper,  although  they  never  have  belonged  to  the  Southern 
church,  and  perhaps  never  will.  It  seems  but  just  that  they 
should  have  some  medium  through  which  to  reply  to  what 
they  consider  unfair  and  unjust  accusations. 

"It  is  not  our  purpose  to  meddle  with  their  difficulties, 
and  all  we  now  state  is  upon  information  received  from 
others.  We  have  not  from  the  first  been  any  nearer  'the 
seat  of  war'  than  our  own  legitimate  business  has  called  us, 
but,  if  reports  may  be  relied  on,  some  strange  things  have 
occurred  among  them. — ED.  ADVOCATE. 

"Editor  St.  Louis  C.  Advocate: 

"Dear  Sir: — The  following  was  sent  to  the  editor  of  the 
Central  Advocate,  with  a  request  that  it  should  be  insert- 
ed, as  a  simple  act  of  justice  to  Dr.  Redfield,  whom  we 
believe  to  be  an  injured  man.  For  reasons  of  his  own,  the 
editor  of  the  Central  refused  to  give  it  a  place  in  his 
columns.  We  have,  therefore,  respectfully  to  ask  that  you 
will  do  us  the  favor  to  give  it  a  place"  in  your  paper,  as,  at 
present,  we  have  no  other  available  means  of  reaching  that 
portion  of  the  public  whom  we  most  desire  should  see  this, 
our  honest  statement  of  facts. 

"The  paper  was  signed  by  five  of  those  whose  names  are 
now  appended,  as  a  committee  appointed  for  that  purpose. 
When  the  editor  of  the  Central  refused  to  insert  it,  it  was 
then  reported  back  to  the  church  by  whom  the  committee 
had  been  appointed,  and  the  following  resolution  was  adopted 
unanimously: 

"Resolved,  That  as  the   following  has  been  rejected  by 


388  LII-K  oi   JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

the  Central  Advocate,  it  be  forwarded  to  the  editor  of  the 
St.  Louis  Christian  Advocate,  with  a  request  that  it  be  pub- 
lished in  that  paper,  and  that  it,  also,  be  signed  by  those 
holding  official  position  in  Ebenezer  church,  when  the  sepa- 
ration took  place. 

"For  the  Central  Christ  ian  Advocate. 
"[SPECIAL  BEQUKST.J 

"Mr.  Editor: — An  article  bearing  the  above  title,  signed 
Samuel  Huffman,  P.  E.,  published  in  your  issue  of  the  i6th, 
contains  so  many  false  statements  of  an  injurious  character, 
that  we  beg  permission  to  correct  the  most  important. 

"Mr.  Huffman  charges  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Redfield  with 
being  unwilling,  when  he  came  to  this  city,  to  tell  definitely 
where  he  was  from,  'claiming,'  he  says,  'to  be  directly  from 
Northern  Illinois,  or  Michigan.' 

"The  tendency  of  this  is,  to  excite  suspicion  that  there 
must  be  something  wrong  about  him,  or  he  would  be  able 
and  willing  to  state  'whence  he  came.' 

"This  charge  is  utterly  false.  Dr.  Redfield  brought 
official  letters  from  the  church,  which  were  read  publicly  in 
Ebenezer  church,  stating  that  he  was  'directly'  from  Elgin, 
Illinois. 

"Mr.  Huffman  next  charges,  on  'information,'  L)r.  Red- 
field,  with  'sowing  dissensions  among  the  members'  of 
Ebenezer  church.  That  Dr.  Redfield  preached  the  gospel 
with  great  plainness  and  power,  we  readily  admit;  and  many 
'came  out  from  the  world'  and  gave  themselves  anew  to 
Christ.  But  for  other  influences  than  those  excited  by  Dr. 
Redfield,  we  believe  no  'dissensions'  among  the  members 
would  have  taken  place. 

"  Mr.  Huffman  charges  Dr.  Redfield  with  '  publicly 
proposing  to  take  a  vote  of  the  congregation,  as  to 
whether  he  should  occupy  the  pulpit.'  Dr.  Redfield  never 
proposed  any  such  thing.  He  had  been  invited  by  official 
members,  the  pastor  concurring,  to  occupy  the  pulpit,  and 


THE  COMMITTEE'S  REPLY.  389 

hold  a  series  of  meetings  for  three  weeks.  During  the  first 
sermon  he  preached  after  this  invitation  was  given,  Dr.  Red- 
field  proposed  to  take  an  expression  of  the  congregation,  as 
to  whether  they  would  like  to  have  this  searching  class  of 
truth  presented.  The  pastor  interrupted,  and  the  next  night 
forbade  him  the  further  occupancy  of  the  pulpit. 

"Again,  Mr.  Huffman  charges  him  with  obtaining,  under 
false  pretences,  from  the  pastor  of  Ebenezer  'a  certificate 
of  his  membership  and  official  standing.' 

"We  should  like  to  know  what  right  any  'pastor'  has  to 
exact  a  promise  before  he  will  give  a  certificate  of  member- 
ship? 

"The  certificate  relates  to  present  standing,  and  not  to 
future  conduct.  But,  as  we  understand  it,  the  doctor  made 
no  'promise.'  He  did  not  buy  a  'certificate.'  He  simply 
expressed  his  intention.  That  intention,  expressed  honestly 
at  the  time,  he  had  a  perfect  right  to  change. 

"Mr.  Huffman  charges  Dr.  Redfield  with  'heading  and 
leading  off  a  company  of  the  members  of  Ebenezer  church.' 
This,  also,  is  utterly  untrue.  Dr.  Redfield  never  encouraged 
or  advised,  so  far  as  we  could  learn,  any  one  to  leave  Eben- 
ezer church. 

"Those  who  left,  did  so  of  their  own  accord,  and,  as  they 
believe,  for  sufficient  reasons. 

"With  'organizing  and  establishing  separate  services,'  he 
had  nothing  to  do.  He  even  refused  to  attend  their  first 
meetings. 

"At  the  request  of  those  who  organized  themselves  into 
a  separate  society,  he  has  preached  for  them,  and,  we  trust, 
will  continue  to  do  so  as  his  health  will  permit. 

"The  Rev.  Mr.  Huffman,  P.  E.,  expresses  great  anxiety 
to  have  the  Rev.  Dr.  Redfield  placed  in  his  power.  He  ex- 
hibits an  eagerness,  totally  unbecoming  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  to  see  his  anticipated  victim  writhing  under  the  tor- 
tures of  the  modern  inquisition. 
27 


390  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  KKIH-IKLD. 

"We  trust  that  he  may  find  himself  disappointed. 

"For  the  withdrawal  from  Ebenezer  of  the  large  num- 
bers of  members  that  have  left,  we  do  not  consider  that  Dr. 
Redfield  is  in  the  least  responsible.  We  have  our  own  views 
as  to  where  the  blame  rests,  but,  at  present,  accuse  no  one. 

"There  is  room  enough  in  this  large  and  wicked  city  for 
both  the  old  and  new  organizations  to  live  and  labor  for  the 
salvation  of  souls.  Crimination  and  recriminations  can  do 
no  good.  Let  us  employ  our  strength  in  peace  and  harmony, 
in  building  up  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

"From  our  intercourse  with  Dr.  Redfield,  we  are  satis- 
fied that  he  is  a  holy  man,  devoted  entirely  to  the  service  of 
Christ.  He  preaches  with  apostolic  zeal,  eloquence  and 
power,  and  we  most  cordially  commend  him  to  the  confidence 
and  sympathy  of  the  Christian  public,  wherever  he  may 
bestow  his  evangelical  labors. 

"H.  WICKKRSHAM,  Leader,^ 
"L.   H.  CORDRY,  L.  P., 
"HENRY  STEPHENS,  L.  P.,  I  Com. 
"LIBERTY  WAITE,  Steward,  I 
"A.  W.  HARRISON. 
"AD.  C.  CAUGHLAN,  Steward, 
"JOHNSON  BROOKS,  Leader, 
"RICHARD  THORNTON,  L.  D., 

"and  one  hundred  members." 

Before  Mr.  Redfield  started  for  Quincy,  a  friend  handed 
him  a  copy  of  the  paper  with  the  article  his  enemies  had 
published.  This  induced  him  to  leave  his  wife,  for  the 
present,  in  St.  Louis,  as  he  did  not  know  the  reception  he 
might  receive  in  that  place.  With  a  heavy  heart  he  started 
on  his  journey.  The  tempter  beset  him  with  questioning  as 
to  his  course.  He  soliloquized  thus:  "What  am  I  about?  If 
I  am  right,  why  don't  God  stop  this  great  wrong?  Well,  I 
don't  know;  I  cannot  see!  I  am  an  offense.  I  cannot  help 
it.  I  am  like  a  poor  hunted  animal,  dodging  the  blows  of  its 


A  COLLEGE  PRESIDENT'S  INVESTIGATION.         391 

enemies.  But  still  I'll  try  to  work  for  God  as  well  as  I 
can." 

The  next  morning,  after  leaving  St.  Louis,  he  arrived  at 
Quincy,  and  found  the  paper  with  that  special  request  had 
preceded  him.  He  was  immediately  waited  upon,  and  asked 
if  he  would  deposit  his  letter,  and  come  to  trial.  He  replied, 
"I  am  not  willing  to  let  my  case  be  acted  upon  by  such  as 
know  of  the  fraudulent  letter,  and  connived  at  it.  I  can 
show  you  papers  which  will  attest  the  truth  of  the  whole 
matter.  Now  you  can  do  as  you  please,  but  I  do  not  feel  it 
my  duty  to  suffer  all  I  have  for  these  men,  and  then  to  begin 
a  series  of  meetings  here  after  having  been  tried  for  a  crime 
which  they  have  committed." 

But  the  president  of  the  Methodist  college,  and  the  agent 
of  the  same,  said,  "We  will  go  to  St.  Louis  and  find  out  all 
the  facts." 

They  returned  in  a  few  days,  and  said  to  Mr.  Redfield, 
"We  saw  only  the  men  who  are  pursuing  you,  and  we  knew 
from  their  own  mouths  that  the  whole  matter  of  the  disturb- 
ance is  with,  and  caused  by,  them.  So  you  have  our 
confidence,  and  can  go  to  work." 

While  Mr.  Redfield  was  waiting  for  their  return,  the 
lady  with  whom  he  boarded  related  to  him  the  following 
experience: 

"Brother,  I  have  lived  here  seventeen  years.  I  have  felt 
it  to  be  my  duty  to  work  for  God.  I  have  seen  one  church, 
among  the  Germans,  built  up,  and  become  a  Bethel  for  souls. 
And  we  have"  two  American  Methodist  churches.  About 
five  years  ago,  I  got  to  feeling  so  bad  over  the  low  state  of 
religion,  that  one  night,  after  meeting,  I  took  a  by  street  to 
go  home,  so  I  could  cry  aloud,  and  ask  God  what  was  to  be 
done.  That  night  he  showed  you  to  me  in  a  dream,  and  told 
me  you  would  come  and  preach  the  gospel  in  its  power. 
And  as  soon  as  I  saw  you  I  knew  you,  and  remembered  my 
dream." 


392  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIKLD. 

Mr.  Rcdficld  remarks  in  connection  with  this  account, 
"All  this  was  very  consoling  to  my  wounded  heart.  But 
for  these  occasional  instances  of  revelation  to  God's  people, 
I  think  I  should  have  given  up  the  struggle." 

He  now  went  to  work,  and  God  came  in  glorious  power 
in  the  salvation  of  souls.  A  Baptist  clergyman,  an  honest, 
earnest  seeker  after  what  he  called  "the  higher  life,"  soon 
entered  into  the  experience.  One  day,  when  Mr.  Redfield 
was  out  visiting,  he  was  sent  for  by  a  sister  of  the  church, 
who  was  in  great  distress  of  mind.  Several  were  with  her, 
and  were  engaged  in  prayer,  when  he  arrived.  She  would 
walk  the  floor,  throw  herself  flat  upon  it,  wring  her  hands, 
and  cry,  and  whenever  the  praying  would  cease,  she  would 
scream  out,  "Oh,  do,  do  pray  every  moment,  for  I  cannot 
live."  The  friends  prayed  until  they  were  exhausted.  Mr. 
Redfield  had  been  quietly  watching  her  in  the  meanwhile, 
and  at  last  said, 

"Sister,  hold  on  a  moment." 
But  she  cried  out,  "Why  don't  you  pray?" 
He  said  to  her,  "You  are  not  ready  for  prayer.      Now, 
do  you  say,  if  the  Lord  will  bless  you,  any  way?" 

"Oh,"  said  she,  "that  is  the  difficulty.  I  am  not  willing 
to  be  singular." 

"Well,  if  God  will  save  you,  do  you  say,  any  way,  Lord?" 
Soon  she  broke  out,  with,  "Any  way,  Lord." 
He  said,  "Say  it  louder" ;  and  she  repeated  it  at  the  top  of 
her  voice.     In  a  few  minutes  she  was  so  filled  with  joy  that 
her  shouts  of  praise  aroused  the  people  of  the  entire  block. 

In  the  following  letter,  written  at  this  time,  Mr.  Redfield 
opens  his  heart  and  mind  to  our  gaze: 

"QuixcY,  111.,  March  30,  1859. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Foot: — Your  letter  came  to  hand 
this  afternoon,  re-mailed  from  St.  Louis. 

"I  have  been  here  two  weeks  next  Saturday.  Mattie  will 
come  up  to-morrow  or  next  day.  I  send  you  a  paper,  the 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  FOOT. 


393 


St.  Louis  Christian  Advocate,  a.  Southern  paper,  which  will 
set  that  matter  of  the  Central  Advocate  right.  I  have  like- 
wise papers  signed  hy  about  one  hundred  persons,  stating  the 
facts  concerning  the  church  difficulties.  The  depths  of  cor- 
ruption which  have  come  to  light  by  the  acts  of  the  few  men 
who  have  tried  to  father  on  to  me  the  fruits  of  their  own 
wrong,  will  put  them  in  a  very  unenviable  light  at  the  next 
conference.  The  city  of  St.  Louis,  churches  and  outsiders, 
seeing  the  wrong  and  the  persecutions  of  these  men,  have  of- 
fered and  are  now  preparing  to  build  a  church  at  a  cost  of 
about  $20,000 — lot  and  all.  A  brother  was  up  here  yester- 
day to  negotiate  for  the  brick. 

"They  are  still  having  salvation  power  in  the  new  church. 
Mattie  reports,  that  Sunday  before  last,  six  were  converted 
in  a  single  class  meeting,  and  a  number  sanctified.  They 
have  now  six  classes,  and  a  Sunday-school  of  more  than  two 
hundred,  and  very  flourishing.  More  or  less  are  joining,  at 
almost  every  meeting.  They  say  salvation  was  never  in  the 
city  before  in  power  like  this. 

"The  first  week  after  the  publishing  of  that  article  in  the 
Central^  more  than  fifty  of  the  subscribers  stopped  taking  it. 
The  city  carriers  have  refused  to  take  it,  as,  they  say,  so  many 
refuse  to  take  it  longer.  Thai  shows  what  the  people  in  St. 
Louis  think.  Two  of  the  first  ministers  of  this  conference 
(the  Illinois)  have  been  down  to  St.  Louis,  and  took  the  re- 
ports from  the  men  who  published  that  article,  and  they  say 
those  men  are  condemned  out  of  their  own  mouths;  and  as- 
sure me  that  I  have  their  confidence  and  sympathy,  and  shall 
have  their  support.  So  I  feel  that  I  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  the  matter.  I  shall  keep  on  serving  God  and  doing 
all  the  good  I  can  amid  this  persecution.  It  is  hard  enough 
to  be  without  home,  and  away  from  friends,  and  to  meet  the 
powers  of  darkness,  of  the  world,  and  infidels; but  if  my  track 
lies  amid  perils  by  sea  and  by  land,  and  false  brethren,  yet 
God  will  not  excuse  me. 


394  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RKDFIKLD. 

"  'The  way  may  be  rough, 
But  it  will  not  be  long.' 

"We  are  having  conflicts  here,  but  glorious  victories  also. 

"A  goodly  number  have  entered  into  the  rest  of  perfect 
love.  Two  Baptist  preachers  have  attended  some  of  the 
meetings  and  are  earnestly  seeking  holiness.  They  came  to 
my  boarding  house  to  talk  with  me  and  pray  over  the  matter 
to-day.  They  said  they  would  pay  the  cost.  One  said, 'By 
faith  I  can  see  men  as  trees  walking,  and  I  never  knew  any- 
thing like  this  before.'  The  other  says  he  will  not  yield  un- 
til he  knows  the  fullness  for  himself;  and  then  he  will  preach 
it  if  he  is  turned  away  from  Quincy.  Bless  the  Lord!  The 
work  is  spreading  all  over  the  place,  and  into  nearly  all  the 
churches.  Hallelujah  to  the  Branch! 

"The  dear,  good  sister  where  I  stay,  is  a  pilgrim  indeed. 
She  has  stood  nearly  alone  for  fourteen  years,  weeping  and 
praying  over  this  wicked  city.  Five  years  ago,  she  says, 
God  showed  her  the  man  whom  he  would  send  here  to  work; 
and  she  says, 'When  I  first  saw  you,  I  remembered  the  dream 
in  which  I  saw  you.'  Oh,  how  this  did  comfort  me  amid 
my  fight  'with  the  beasts  of  Ephesus.'  Right,  or  not,  such 
things  do  encourage  me. 

"The  people  in  St.  Louis  insisted  upon  it,  that  we  must 
not  leave  them  this  summer.  They  think,  if  the  work 
keeps  moving  as  it  now  does,  they  will  have  at  least  three 
churches  of  a  salvation  stamp,  in  two  or  three  years.  Next 
Sabbath  they  are  to  have  their  first  general  quarterly  meeting, 
after  the  manner  of  such  meetings  in  Western  New  York. 
One  of  the  preachers  from  the  East  is  with  them  now,  and 
they  expect  another  to  take  his  place  soon. 

"The  society  goes  in  strong  for  Northern  Methodism, 
and  organized  on  the  Discipline  of  1842.  It  is  said  that  one 
of  the  bishops  has  said,  the  society  will  be  recognized,  al- 
though those  men  who  have  fought  us  say  they  will  leave  the 
conference  if  that  is  done.  But  we  shall  see. 


LETTER  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  FOOT.  395 

"I  was  never  more  sure  that  God  sent  us  to  that  city  of 
sin.  It  did  seem  that  it  would  crush  me  for  awhile,  and  I 
was  laid  up  sick  for  two  weeks  with  the  burden  and  trouble. 
'But  having  obtained  help  of  God,  I  continue  to  this  day,' 
preaching  the  same  gospel,  and  having  the  same  Jesus  to 
help  me.  My  dear  Mattie  has  stood  by  me  like  an  angel  of 
mercy;  and  when  I  felt  like  fainting,  she  seemed  to  possess 
the  courage  of  a  hero,  and  insisted  upon  it  that  we  should 
not  quit  the  field,  but  have  victory  or  die  in  our  tracks.  God 
has  given  the  victory.  If  Mattie's  health  permits  we 
shall  visit  St.  Charles  this  season,  the  Lord  permitting.  Then 
we  can  give  you  all  the  interesting  details,  which  are  too 
tedious  to  write. 

"The  people  here  are  urgent  that  we  shall  make  this 
place  our  home  this  summer,  but  I  don't  know.  We  have 
two  more  new  places  open,  as  soon  as  we  get  through  here, 
where  the  ministers  knew  me  East,  and  know  all  about  the 
St.  Louis  troubles.  They  are  very  urgent  that  we  carry  the 
same  word  of  salvation  into  their  places. 

"Oh,  how  I  want  to  see  you  all  at  St.  Charles.  Please 
give  my  love  to  all;  tell  them  .to  pray  for  us.  If  ever  we 
needed  prayers  it  is  now.  We  are  kicked  on  one  side,  and 
patted  on  the  other.  We  need  humility  to  bear  the  one,  and 
courage  to  meet  the  other, — especially  when  we  get  into  the 
unfortunate  fix  of  the  poor  fellow  who  went  down  from 
Jerusalem  to  Jericho.  We  have  had  the  worst  squall  that 
we  ever  got  into.  But  thank  the  Lord,  salvation  has  got  into 
St.  Louis,  and  I  think  it  will  take  years  for  the  devil  to  get 
it  out;  and  in  that  time  a  goodly  host  will  pass  safely  over. 

"Love  to  all. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 

SUBSEQUENT  events  proved  the  wisdom  of  Mr.  Redfield's 
refusal  to  submit  to  trial  by  the  Ebenezer  quarterly  confer- 
ence. The  trial  of  a  number  of  local  preachers  took  place, 
which  developed  the  policy  of  the  administration.  The 
trials  of  two  were  postponed  from  time  to  time,  until  the 
sickness  of  one  and  the  business  of  the  other  prevented  them 
from  attending,  and  then  they  were  published  as  having 
refused  to  appear.  Another  was  tried,  and  cleared,  and 
when  his  character  was  "passed,"  he  asked  for  his  letter,  and 
united  with  the  new  society.  Another  local  preacher,  whose 
drunkenness  had  been  a  great  scandal  to  the  church,  had  his 
license  renewed  after  signing  the  temperance  pledge. 

Mr.  Redfield  had  now  taken  his  letter  again,  and  for  the 
time  being  put  it  in  the  keeping  of  a  minister  in  the  church 
South,  thinking  the  mutual  jealousies  of  the  two  churches 
would  make  that  a  safe  asylum  for  the  time  being.  But  Dr. 
Williams  was  constantly  on  the  search  for  it,  finally 
discovered  it,  and  immediately  published  Mr.  Redfield  as 
having  compromised  his  anti-slavery  principles.  This  drew 
letters  in  large  numbers  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  asking 
for  explanations.  But  what  was  painful  to  him  was  that 
some  staunch  friends  for  this  cause  now  forsook  him. 
Among  these  was  ex-Bishop  Hamline.  Down  to  this  time 
their  friendship  had  been  close,  and  Mr.  Redfield  had  re- 
ceived much  encouragement  from  the  good  man.  Often, 
fields  of  labor  had  opened  to  him  through  the  bishop's 
influence.  For  some  reason,  probably  from  the  evil  reports 
then  in  circulation,  their  fellowship  was  broken.  But  a  few 
years  elapsed  before  they  both  had  passed  away,  and 
doubtless  in  heaven  mutual  explanations  have  been  made,  and 
they  have  entered  into  a  fellowship  to  be  no  more  broken. 

During  the  summer  following,  Mr.  Redfield  went  East, 

(896) 


AT  WORK  IN  ILLINOIS  AGAIN.  397 

on  a  visit,  and  met  with  handbills,  stating  that  he  and  the 
new  society  in  St.  Louis  were  slaveholders,  and  belonged  to 
the  Southern  Methodist  church.  From  this  time  he  found 
his  way  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  almost  entirely 
closed. 

In  the  autumn  of  1858,  Rev.  Seymour  Coleman,  a  super- 
annuated preacher  of  the  Troy  Conference,  settled  in  Aurora, 
Illinois.  For  many  years  he  had  been  noted  for  the  advocacy 
of  the  doctrine  and  experience  of  holiness.  This  was  his 
theme,  and  his  preaching  was  in  great  simplicity  and  power. 
He  has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  Methodist  preacher  who 
invited  seekers  of  holiness  to  the  altar  for  prayer.  At  his 
next  conference  his  character  was  arrested  by  his  presiding 
elder,  for  so  doing. 

Mr.  Coleman  had  attended  most  of  the  laymen's  camp 
meetings  in  Western  New  York,  and  knew  the  "pilgrims" 
well. 

In  the  spring  of  1859,  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the  pulpit  of 
the  First  church,  in  Aurora,  and  he  was  employed  to  fill  it 
until  the  ensuing  conference.  Almost  immediately  the  Spir- 
it of  God  began  to  be  poured  out  upon  the  Aurora  church, 
and  large  numbers  of  the  membership  entered  into  the  ex- 
perience of  perfect  love,  and  a  general  awakening  among  the 
unconverted  soon  became  apparent.  His  first  more  public 
appearance  was  at  the  district  camp  meeting  held  near  Syca- 
more in  De  Kalb  Co.  At  this  camp  meeting  were  large  num- 
bers from  Marengo,  Woodstock,  Elgin  and  St.  Charles,  who 
had  been  brought  into  the  experience  of  perfect  love  through 
Mr.  Redfield's  labors.  There  were  visitors  also  from  long 
distances,  who  were  full  of  holy  fire,  and  ready  for  work. 
Mr.  Coleman  was  invited  to  preach  the  opening  sermon.  In 
this  he  pitched  the  keynote  for  the  entire  meeting.  Full 
salvation  was  the  theme,  and  all  the  full  salvation  folks 
walked  out  in  glorious  liberty.  Mr.  Coleman  preached 
again  Friday  afternoon,  on  the  Vine  and  the  Branches.  In 


398  LIFE  OF  JOHN   \V.  RKDFIELD. 

this  sermon  he  handled  the  timid  and  the  unsound  theologi- 
ans in  the  church  "without  gloves."  During  the  sermon  he 
gave  expression  to  the  following: 

"I  understand  there  are  preachers  in  this  country,  who  are 
afraid  of  the  Bible  terms,  sanctification,  holiness,  perfect  love, 
clean  heart,  and  talk  about  'a  little  more  religion,'  'a  deeper 
work  of  grace,'  etc.  The  Lord  pity  the  poor  things.  Jesus 
has  said,  'Whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me,  and  my  words, 
in  this  adulterous  and  sinful  generation,  of  him  shall  the  Son 
of  man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  the 

Father  with  the  holy  angels.'"  Presiding  Elder  H 

gently  pulled  Father  Coleman's  coat,  as  a  check  to  such  se- 
verity, but  the  old  man,  with  a  dignity  and  almost  majesty 
of  manner,  that  thrilled  all  who  observed  it,  turned  and  laid 
his  hand  upon  the  elder's  head,  and  said,  "It  will  not  hurt 
you,  elder."  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  Father  Coleman 
was  about  to  sit  down,  when  the  elder  told  him  to  go  on. 
He  then  turned  back  to  the  congregation,  and  asked  to  have 
the  whole  altar  cleared.  The  altar  was  one  of  the  old-fash- 
ioned kind,  with  a  railing  around  to  keep  off  the  crowd  from 
the  seekers  and  laborers.  In  a  moment,  almost,  the  whole 
altar  was  cleared.  He  then  asked  for  seekers  for  holiness; 
and,  about  as  quick,  the  place  was  filled  again,  until  only  two 
persons  could  get  in  to  labor  with  the  seekers.  More  than 
150  were  on  their  knees  consecrating  all  to  Christ. 

Many  of  the  ministers  present  were  astonished  at  the 
power  of  the  truth  of  a  full  salvation  to  move  and  bless  the 
people.  The  evidence  of  the  divine  approval  of  preaching 
the  doctrine  was  apparent  to  all. 

While  a  group  of  Christians  were  talking  together  of  the 
wondrous  scene  a  little  while  after,  a  gentleman  approached, 
and  said,  "I  saw  the  old  man  this  forenoon  far  out  in  the 
grove  stretched  flat  on  the  ground,  with  his  coat  and  vest  off, 
struggling  in  prayer;  and  again,  since  dinner,  I  went  out, 
and  he  still  was  there  engaged  in  prayer."  This  explained 
it  all. 


A  PRESIDING  ELDER'S  TESTIMONY.  399 

The  next  morning  the  love-feast  started  off  in  glorious 
power.  Many  were  the  testimonies  to  entire  sanctification. 
Some  would  say,  "Thank  God,  three  years  ago,"  or  "two 
years  ago,"  or  "one  year  ago,"  "I  saw  the  light."  This 
meant  when  Mr.  Redfield  came  into  this  section.  These 
testimonies  seemed  to  disturb  the  presiding  elder  much. 
At  last,  apparently  in  great  indignation,  he  arose,  and  said : 

"Brethren,  you  are  doing  us  preachers  a  great  wrong. 
You  talk  as  though  this  was  a  new  thing.  But  we  have 
been  preaching  it  all  these  years.  I  thank  God  that  three 
weeks  after  my  conversion  I  was  led  to  the  altar  by  my 
mother,  though  I  was  only  nine  years  old,  and  there  and  then 
I  consecrated  myself  wholly  to  God.  It  has  cost  me  many 
a  struggle  to  keep  all  on  the  altar,  but  by  the  grace  of  God  I 
have  been  enabled  to  do  so." 

A  sister  Irvine,  the  wife  of  one  of  the  conference  preach- 
ers, a  contributor  to  the  Ladies*  Repository,  and  an  advocate 
of  holiness,  was  present,  and  her  swift  pencil  took  down  the 
elder's  testimony,  and  the  next  week  it  appeared  in  the  North- 
western Christian  Advocate. 

But  there  were  on  the  camp  ground,  a  brother  Bishop 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Fairchild,  the  latter  a  local  preacher, 
who  were  differently  moved  by  the  testimony  than  most 
others  who  heard  it.  At  noon,  when  they  came  together  in 
their  tent,  the  following  conversation  took  place: 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  elder's  testimony?" 

"I  don't  know  what  to  make  of  it." 

"When  he  came  to  our  first  quarterly  meeting  in  Wood- 
stock, last  fall,"  said  the  local  preacher,  "I  asked  him  at  the 
close  of  his  Saturday  afternoon  sermon,  if  he  enjoyed  the 
blessing  of  holiness,  and  he  answered, 'No;  but  I  am  seeking 
it;  and  I  want  the  friends  to  pray  for  me.'  " 

"But,"  said  Father  Bishop,  "at  our  last  quarterly  meeting 
at  Franklinville,  on  Sunday  morning,  he  preached  against 
the  use  of  the  technical  terms,  sanctification,  etc.  Monday 


490  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

morning  I  felt  so  badly  about  it,  I  went  to  the  parsonage  to 
talk  with  him  about  it.  He  then  told  me  he  had  'been  read- 
ing Mattison  on  the  subject,  and  had  grown  skeptical.'" 

In  the  minds  of  these  brethren  and  those  who  listened  to 
them,  there  was  great  confusion  as  to  what  the  elder  meant 
by  that  testimony. 

In  the  city  of  Aurora,  the  work  of  holiness  went  forward 
with  great  power  under  the  labors  of  Father  Coleman. 
Here  were  strong  men  who  stood  by  the  doctrine  and  ex- 
perience; and  whose  hearts  were  loyal  to  God.  Some  of 
these  had  entered  into  the  experience  and  others  had  not. 

In  August,  a  camp  meeting  was  held  near  Aurora,  which 
was  largely  attended  by  the  lovers  and  advocates  of  holiness. 
Benjamin  Pomeroy  was  there  from  New  York  state,  but  for 
some  reason  did  not  get  free,  and  failed  to  make  much 
impression.  Father  Coleman  was  at  his  best.  How  he 
preached,  and  how  he  prayed!  Dr.  T.  M.  Eddy,  editor  of 
the  Northwestern  Christian  Advocate,  preached  Sunday 
morning.  The  only  minister  who  felt  free  to  follow  him  in 
the  afternoon  was  Father  Coleman,  who  preached  from 
"Tarry  ye  at  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from 
on  high."  It  was  a  characteristic  discourse.  There  was  no 
comfort  in  it  for  an  unfaithful  and  cowardly  ministry;  there 
was  much  that  gave  offense  to  the  fastidious  and  time-serv- 
ing; but  God  was  glorified. 

About  five  o'clock  two  prayer  meetings  were  started,  one 
in  a  large  Aurora  tent,  led  by  Father  Coleman,  and  the  other 
in  a  St.  Charles  tent,  led  by  a  boy  preacher.  God  came  in 
great  power,  and  many  were  saved.  Among  the  rest  who 
attended  this  meeting  was  the  Hon.  Benjamin  Hackney,  of 
Aurora.  He  had  been  converted  but  a  short  time,  and  under 
the  preaching  of  Father  Coleman,  had  come  to  see  the  doc- 
trine of  holiness  clearly,  but  had  not  yet  entered  into  the 
experience.  Sunday  evening,  just  before  the  preaching 
service,  he  was  walking  back  and  forth  across  the  grounds 


MR.  HACKNEY  EXPERIENCES  SANCTIFICATION.   401 

in  meditation,  when  he  met  Father  Coleman,  and  said, 
"Father  Coleman,  I've  got  everything  upon  the  altar;  what. 
shall  I  do  next?" 

"Oh,  just  leave  it  there,"  said  the  old  veteran,  and  passed 
on. 

Mr.  Hackney  resumed  his  walk,  and  his  meditations. 
But  to  himself  he  said,  "Well;  that  is  a  strange  way  to  treat 
a  man!  Why  did  he  not  try  to  help  me?  Perhaps  that  is 
the  way  to  do.  Well;  I'll  do  that."  He  continued  his  walk, 
thinking  and  praying,  and  waiting  upon  the  Lord.  Little 
by  little  his  faith  took  hold,  and  little  by  little  came  the  peace 
of  believing.  The  assurance  began  to  spring  up  in  his  heart, 
and  at  last  he  was  enabled  to  say: 

"'Tis  done,  thou  dost  this  moment  save, 

With  full  salvation  bless. 
Redemption  through  thy  blood  I  have, 
And  spotless  love  and  peace." 

The  next  day  was  a  busy  one  with  him  up  town  in  his 
office,  and  on  the  campground,  looking  after  his  own  tent, 
and  a  number  of  others  he  had  provided  for  those  who  could 
not  provide  for  themselves,  and  he  had  no  opportunity  to 
testify  in  public.  It  was  the  same  on  Tuesday,  until  the 
meeting  broke  up.  In  the  afternoon  while  quite  a  company 
was  waiting  for  a  train,  and  he  was  superintending  the  re- 
moval of  the  tents  under  his  care,  an  impromptu  service  was 
held  in  the  altar.  After  awhile  Mr.  Hackney  arose  and  tes- 
tified. He  said: 

"I  have  dealt  in  railroad  stocks,  and  canal  stocks,  and 
bank  stocks,  and  state  stocks,  and  in  all  kinds  of  stocks,  but 
I  never  got  hold  of  anything  that  yields  such  dividends  as  the 
stock  I  have  in  Jesus." 

In  a  few  days  another  camp  meeting  commenced  on  the 
old  ground  near  Coral.  Here  the  holiness  people  were  out 
in  force.  Elder  Crews  again  had  charge,  and  Mr.  Redfield 
was  present  to  preach  and  help  on  the  battle.  A  wonderful 


402  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDKIEI.D. 

spirit  of  prayer  prevailed.  At  almost  every  hour  of  the  clay, 
the  woods  were  vocal  with  the  sound  of  prayer.  A  Rev. 
N.  P.  H—  -  preached  the  Sunday  morning  sermon.  It  was 
a  strained  effort  to  do  a  great  thing.  In  the  afternoon  Mr. 
Red  field  preached,  in  his  characteristic  manner.  While 
touching  upon  the  subject  of  dress,  the  Rev.  H was  evi- 
dently disturbed,  and  pointing  towards  Mr.  Redfield's  back, 
said,  "But  he  wears  buttons  on  the  back  of  his  coat." 

These  three  camp  meetings  greatly  strengthened  the  holi- 
ness people,  and  as  greatly  exasperated  their  enemies.  In 

the  city  of  Aurora  lived  Rev.  A d,  the  presiding  elder  of 

Chicago  District,  who  held  to  the  development  theory  of 
sanctification.  lie  became  greatly  stirred  over  the  growth 
of  the  holiness  sentiment,  and  the  spread  of  the  work.  The 
First  church  desired  Father  Coleman  to  supply  them  another 
year;  but  Elder  A ,  though  it  was  not  within  his  juris- 
diction, said,  "He  shall  not  supply  a  pulpit  in  Aurora,  if  it 
shuts  every  church,  store  and  shop  in  the  city." 

Elder  Crews,  of  the  Rockford  District,  took  to  the  con- 
ference the  recommendations  of  Edward  P.  Hart  and 
I.  H.  Richardson,  both  from  the  Marengo  Quarterly  Con- 
ference. Elder  H ,  of  the  St.  Charles  District,  opposed 

both  of  them,  because,  as  he  said,  they  were  tainted  with 
Redfieldism.  In  his  speech  against  their  reception,  he  said: 
"Redfieldism  has  nearly  driven  me  from  my  district  during 
the  year."  He  was  the  presiding  elder  whose  testimony 
created  such  a  sensation  at  the  Sycamore  camp  meeting  in 
June. 

One  fact  should  be  borne  in  mind,  namely,  that  in  all 
these  conflicts,  East  and  West,  the  opposition  to  these  holiness 
workers  came  from  men  who  did  not  hold  clearly  to  the 
doctrine  of  entire  sanctification  as  a  distinct  experience. 

But  to  return  to  the  session  of  the  Illinois  Conference.  It 
was  argued  by  some,  that  as  Mr.  Hart  was  a  young  man,  he 
might  be  cured  of  his  Redfieldism,  but  Mr.  Richardson  was 


"  TAINTED  WITH  REDFIELDISM."  403 

too  old  for  that.  Mr.  Hart  was  admitted,  and  Mr.  Richard- 
son was  rejected. 

Rev.  D.  D.  Buck,  a  presiding  elder  of  the  Minnesota 
Conference,  had  been  present,  listening  to  all  that  was  said, 
pro  and  con,  against  Mr.  Richardson,  and  after  the  adjourn- 
ment for  the  day,  went  to  him,  and  putting  his  arm  around 
him,  invited  him  to  come  to  Minnesota  to  his  district,  for  he 
had  a  place  for  him.  Mr.  Richardson  went  to  Minnesota, 
and  became  a  useful  and  successful  minister  of  the  gospel. 

They  were  greatly  mistaken  in  Mr.  Hart,  for  they  were 
unable  to  cure  him  of  Redfieldism,  and  he  is  still  tainted  with 
it,  and  spreads  it  wherever  he  goes,  as  one  of  the  general 
superintendents  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church. 


CHAPTER  LIX. 

DURING  the  following  August,  the  writer,  then  a  local 
preacher,  was  invited  by  the  local  preachers  of  Mt.  Pleasant 
circuit,  to  assist  them  in  revival  meetings.  The  invitation 
was  accepted,  and  immediately  after  the  Coral  camp  meet- 
ing I  went  to  that  place.  I  found  the  preacher  appointed  by 
the  conference,  had  been  obliged  to  resign  because  of  ill 
health,  and  the  work  was  being  supplied  by  the  local  help. 
The  meeting  was  held  in  a  large  country  church,  in  a  thick- 
ly-settled farming  community.  From  the  first  the  interest 
was  strong,  and  the  meeting  increased  constantly  in  power. 
At  the  end  of  the  second  week  the  newly-appointed  preach- 
er came  on,  but  refused  to  take  part  in  the  meetings  until  he 
was  moved  and  settled.  Being  in  poor  health  and  in  need  of 
help,  and  knowing  Mr.  Redfield,  I  was  requested  to  write 
for«him  to  come.  A  letter  was  at  once  forwarded  to  a  friend, 
inquiring  for  Mr.  Redfield's  address.  The  letter  was  taken 
to  Mr.  Redfield  at  St.  Charles,  where  he  was  awaiting  the 
result  of  an  effort  to  get  him  an  opportunity  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing in  that  place.  He  answered  at  once,  saying  he  would 
come  on  the  following  conditions: 

"I.  That  the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit  requests 
it. 

"2.  That  I  can  go  straight  on  the  Bible  and  the  Disci- 
pline. 

"3.  That  the  preacher  in  charge  will  take  hold  of  said 
work  with  me." 

When  his  letter  was  received  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  it  was 
taken  immediately  to  the  preacher  in  charge,  who  replied, 
"I  want  him  to  come;  I  want  him  to  be  Dr.  Redfield;  I  will 
take  hold  with  him  and  do  the  best  lean." 

A  letter  was  now  written  to  Mr.  Redfield  to  come,  inclos- 
ed) 


WORK  AT  Mr.  PLEASANT. 


4°5 


ing  the  words  of  the  preacher  in  charge.  He  arrived  on 
Wednesday. 

That  night  he  preached  and  the  preacher  in  charge  sat 
back  in  the  congregation  near  the  door.  The  text  was, 
"For  he  that  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it,  but  he  that  will 
lose  his  life  for  my  sake,  and  the  gospel's,  the  same  shall 
save  it." 

The  congregation  was  large,  and  very  attentive.  Many 
had  complained  of  my  preaching,  but  now  they  heard  what 
they  never  had  heard  before.  The  truth  came  with  such 
vividness  and  strength,  and  was  attended  with  such  an  unction 
of  the  Holy  One,  that  Christians  were  compelled  to  look  over 
their  hopes,  and  sinners  were  in  amazement. 

About  thirty  had  been  converted,  and  fifteen  had  entered 
the  experience  of  perfect  love.  One  of  the  latter,  then  a 
class-leader,  but  since  a  traveling  preacher,  was  put  on  such 
a  searching  of  heart  that  for  eight  days  he  dared  not  profess 
to  be  a  Christian. 

At  the  close  of  the  sermon  Mr.  Redfield  sat  down,  and 
turned  the  meeting  over  to  me.  I  arose,  and  asked  for  seek- 
ers ;  but  none  came.  There  had  been  fifteen  the  night  before. 
Then  the  church  members  were  asked  to  come  forward  for 
a  prayer  meeting ;  but  not  a  person  came.  Opportunity  was 
then  given  for  any  to  speak;  but  none  embraced  it.  After 
offering  prayer,  I  dismissed  the  meeting.  Immediately  I 
was  surrounded  by^members  of  the  church,  who  asked,  "Is 
this  going  right?"  I  replied,  "Yes;  you  look  to  the  Lord*" 

The  next  night  Mr.  Redfield  preached  more  strongly 
still.  The  interest  was  intense.  The  pure  truth  in  its  search- 
ing power  came  upon  the  mind  and  heart  with  marvelous 
clearness.  There  was  no  playing  upon  the  sympathies  or 
passions  of  the  people,  but  the  most  honest  dealing  with  the 
understanding  and  the  conscience.  Toward  the  close  of  the  dis- 
course the  feeling  of  the  audience  may  be  described  as  awful. 
When  he  had  finished,  he  said,  "While  I  sing  two  short-metre 


406  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

verses,  if  any  one  will  forsake  the  world  and  come  out  on  the 
Lord's  side,  come."  He  sang  to  the  tune  "Shawmut,"  the 
words, 

"And  can  I  yet  delay, 

My  little  all  to  give? 
To  tear  myself  from  earth  away, 
For  Jesus  to  receive?" 

At  first  the  congregation  attempted  to  sing  with  him,  but 
he  desired  them  to  think.  To  bring  this  about,  he  varied  the 
tune  and  the  words,  and  repeated  both,  until  every  voice  but 
his  own  was  hushed.  He  then  sang  the  second  verse  with 
great  sweetness  and  power: 

"Nay,  but  I  yield,  I  yield, 

I  will  hold  out  no  more; 
I  sink  by  dying  love  compelled, 
And  own  Thee  conqueror." 

Not  a  person  had  moved.  He  then  said,  "Perhaps  some 
one  has  a  confession  to  make.1'  No  one  responded  to  this. 
He  then  pronounced  the  benediction,  and  the  congregation 
dispersed  in  great  quietness. 

Many  came  to  me  and  asked,  "Is  this  going  right?"  to 
whom  I  answered,  "Yes;  you  look  to  the  Lord." 

The  next  night  the  truth  seemed  to  come  with  still  greater 
power  than  the  night  before.  The  house  was  packed  to  its 
utmost  capacity.  Every  eye  was  fixed  intensely  upon  the 
speaker.  The  minds  of  the  people  were  Jed  to  the  judgment 
scene,  and  made  to  look  over  the  acts  of  the  life  and  the  feel- 
ings of  the  heart  under  the  light  of  God.  The  people  began 
to  lean  toward  the  speaker;  here  and  there  one  rose  to  his 
feet.  A  deathly  pallor  spread  over  every  face.  But  all  was 
still,  save  the  preacher's  voice,  which,  in  measured  tones, 
with  great  clearness  and  distinctness,  pronounced  the  truth 
that  arraigned  all  at  the  bar  of  God.  At  the  close  of  the 
sermon,  more  than  twenty  were  standing  on  their  feet,  while 
the  very  hush  of  the  congregation  was  painful.  He  closed, 


MANY  SEEKING  SALVATION.  407 

and  gave  the  invitation.  The  congregation  arose,  and  before 
a  word  could  be  sung,  there  was  a  simultaneous  rush  from 
all  parts  of  the  house  toward  the  altar,  with  wailing  and 
lamentations,  and  screams  for  mercy.  There  could  be  no 
orderly  praying,  but  every  one  broke  out  for  himself.  Chris- 
tians, and  backsliders,  and  sinners,  were  mingled.  More 
than  eighty  had  come  as  penitents.  One  of  the  most  fastid- 
ious of  ladies  came  screaming  most  disagreeable  halle- 
lujahs; and  continued  them  after  she  reached  the  altar.  It 
awakened  my  curiosity,  and  I  watched  her  with  much  inter- 
est. At  last  she  screamed  out,  "There;  I've  said  I'd  go  to 
hell  before  I'd  shout."  In  an  instant  the  power  of  God  fell 
upon  her.  Her  hallelujahs  were  changed  to  the  sweetest 
tones.  She  rose  to  her  feet,  and  flew  about  the  house,  shout- 
ing "Hallelujah"  as  she  went. 

So  great  was  the  feeling  among  the  seekers  that  it  was 
about  impossible  to  instruct  them,  or  even  to  gain  their 
attention.  Now  and  then,  with  shining  face,  one  would 
spring  to  his  feet  to  tell  what  Christ  had  done  for  him;  but 
the  screaming  for  mercy  by  those  still  seeking,  drowned 
their  voices.  Thus  the  meeting  went  on  until  a  late  hour. 
Finally  the  seekers,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  quieted  down,  and 
the  service  was  closed. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  opportunity  even  to 
introduce  the  two  preachers.  Each  night  the  preacher  in 
charge  had  seated  himself  in  the  rear  of  the  congregation, 
and  when  the  service  closed,  would  immediately  leave  the 
house.  But  now,  after  the  service  closed,  he  came  forward 
and  was  introduced.  It  is  quite  possible  that  if  Mr.  Red- 
field's  effort  had  been  a  failure,  he  would  not  have  come 
forward  at  all.  He  said,  "I  have  taken  no  part  in  these 
meetings  heretofore,  but  now  I  will  be  on  hand  every  night 
to  assist."  Turning  to  me,  he  said,  "I  will  take  charge  of 
the  prayer  meeting,  before  preaching  to-morrow  night,  and 
you  take  charge  of  it  after  the  preaching.  Hereafter  we  will 
alternate  in  that  manner." 


LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDMKLD. 

On  the  way  to  our  lodgings,  I  remarked  to  Mr.  Redfield, 
"Doctor,  that  was  glorious." 

"Oh,  but  we  must  go  forty  feet  deeper  yet!"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

The  next  night,  Saturday,  the  preacher  in  charge  was  on 
hand,  and  in  a  very  systematic  manner  took  charge  of  the 
prayer  meeting  before  preaching. 

The  scene  during  the  remainder  of  the  evening,  the  matter 
and  manner  of  the  discourse,  and  the  results,  were  similar  to 
those  of  the  evening  before.  It  seemed  as  though  the  forty 
feet  deeper  stratum  was  reached.  On  the  way  home,  I  again 
remarked,  "Well,  that  was  glorious!" 

"We  must  go  ten  feet  deeper  yet,"  said  Mr.  Redfield,  in 
a  very  impulsive  manner. 

Sunday  morning  came.  A  testimony  meeting  for  an 
hour  before  preaching  gave  an  opportunity  for  any  to  speak 
freely.  Some  very  humiliating  confessions  were  made,  and 
some  very  clear  experiences  related.  The  sermon  was  in  the 
same  line  of  those  which  had  preceded  it.  An  altar  service 
lasted  until  two  o'clock.  Many  were  converted,  and  many 
entered  into  the  experience  of  perfect  love;  among  them 
the  invalid  preacher  of  the  year  before. 

In  the  evening  the  house  was  filled,  and  many  could  not 
get  in.  A  deathly  stillness  pervaded  the  congregation  while 
Mr.  Redfield  preached.  There  was  the  same  rush  to  the 
altar  as  on  the  preceding  nights.  The  preacher  in  charge 
stepped  forward  to  take  the  management  of  the  prayer  meet- 
ing. But  when  he  wanted  them  to  pray,  somebody  wanted 
to  speak,  and  when  he  wanted  them  to  speak,  somebody 
wanted  to  pray.  He  became  greatly  excited,  hurried  from 
one  end  of  the  altar  to  the  other,  and  at  last  turned  to  me 
and  inquired,  "How  do  you  do  it?  How  shall  I  manage  it?" 

"Let  it  manage  itself,"  I  replied. 

"Is  that  the  way  ?"  he  asked. 

lie  quietly  dropped  out,  and  took  no  active  part  in  the 
meetings  after  that. 


DOWN,  DOWN,  DOWN.  409 

On  Monday  night,  Mr.  Redfield  preached  on  the  Way 
of  Faith.  But  he  saw  before  the  service  closed,  that  the 
subject  was  premature.  He  went  groaning  all  the  way 
home.  He  remarked  as  we  entered  the  house,  "We  must  go 
sixty  feet  deeper  yet.  In  such  meetings,  you  must  go  down, 
doiun,  DOWN,  until  all  is  broken  up;  then  the  work  will  go  of 
itself  if  there  is  not  a  preacher  within  forty  miles." 

The  next  night,  the  plow  of  truth  went  in  deeper  than  at 
any  time  before.  How  the  power  of  God  came  with  it!  A 
doctor  of  medicine  by  the  name  of  Roe,  had  been  listening 
to  the  truth  night  after  night  but  had  made  no  move.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  church,  but  wholly  backslidden.  During 
the  altar  service  he  was  heard  screaming  for  mercy  with  all 
his  might;  and  was  found  rolling  upon  the  floor  in  great 
agony.  He  was  a  large  man,  with  a  powerful  voice,  which 
soon  drowned  all  others.  He  at  last  began  to  confess  that 
he  had  been  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  but  had  run  away 
from  duty.  Late  in  the  evening  he  fgund  peace. 

One  night,  Mr.  Redfield  preached  a  discourse  of  marvel- 
ous eloquence.  His  subject  was,  the  Final  Catastrophe  of 
Earth.  He  drew  a  vivid  picture  of  the  earth  with  its  inhabi- 
tants; the  various  elements  of  the  earth  subject  to  their  Mak- 
er, performing  their  offices,  men  engaged  in  their  various 
avocations,  when,  in  an  instant,  at  the  bidding  of  Jehovah, 
the  falling  rain  became  drops  of  fire,  the  rivers,  and  the  lakes 
and  the  oceans,  all  liquid  flame,  etc.,  etc.  A  student,  who 
was  preparing  for  the  law,  who  sat  on  the  front  seat,  said 
afterwards,  he  found  himself  looking  upward  to  see  the 
drops  fall;  and  many  in  the  congregation  thought  the  time 
had  come. 

Another  passage  in  the  sermon  was  as  follows: 

"Suppose,  that  in  the  judgment,  your  soul  and  your  body 
should  be  remanded  to  the  grave,  there  to  be  confined  forever, 
with  no  want,  from  cold,  or  heat,  or  hunger,  or  thirst,  but 
only  this,  'I  want  to  get  out.'  And  when  age  after  age  has 


410  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  RHDFIHLD. 

gone  by,  anil  the  confinement  has  become  almost  unendura- 
ble, you  cry  out  in  your  anguish,  4IIow  long,  O  Lord,  must 
I  lie  here?'  and  back  should  come  the  answer,  'Eternity! 
eternity!'  And  age  after  age  again  goes  by,  and  you  cry 
out,  'How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long?'  and  the  answer  comes, 
'Eternity !  eternity!'  You  would  jump  into  a  hell  of  liquid 
fire  to  be  free." 

Mr.  Redfield  was  with  us  two  weeks  and  then  returned  to 
St.  Charles.  During  this  time  he  had  won  a  permanent 
place  in  the  affections  of  every  fully  consecrated  man  and 
woman,  and  every  young  convert.  With  weeping  eyes  they 
bade  him  good-by  the  last  night. 

The  meeting  continued  for  three  weeks  longer,  ending  in 
a  quarterly  meeting.  The  presiding  elder  took  great  pains 
to  explain  to  the  saints  when  they  should  say  amen,  and 
when  they  should  shout,  but  his  motive  was  so  apparent, 
and  his  instructions  so  void  of  spiritual  wisdom,  that  they 
failed  to  make  any  permanent  impression. 

We  now  began  to  note  the  permanent  fruit  of  the  meet- 
ing. More  than  one  hundred  had  been  converted,  and  about 
seventy-five  had  experienced  perfect  love. 

The  Sunday  night  after  Mr.  Redfield  left,  Mr.  F , 

the  preacher  in  charge,  preached  with  unusual  liberty  for 
him.  When  the  invitation  was  being  given  for  seekers,  a 
ladv  who  had  lately  been  converted,  and  then  sanctified  a 
few  days  after,  went  to  him  and  asked  him  to  go  forward  as 
a  seeker;  but  he  repulsed  her.  With  a  scream  she  fell  to 
the  floor  in  great  agony.  A  large  number  came  forward, 
and  the  prayer  meeting  commenced.  When  the  service  had 
closed,  as  I  turned  to  prepare  for  leaving  the  house,  the  lady 
referred  to,  who  was  still  prostrate  on  the  floor,  cried  out  to 
me,  "He  says  you  set  me  at  him."  This  arrested  the  atten- 
tion of  the  congregation,  the  greater  part  of  which  remained 
to  sec  what  it  meant.  In  the  pulpit,  on  the  floor,  reclined 
Mr.  F-  —  and  the  invalid  pn.-achcr,  in  consultation  about 


THE  PASTOR'S  CONFESSION.  411 

something.  In  answer  to  my  inquiry  as  to  what  the  diffi- 
culty was,  the  latter  replied,  "Brother  F is  in  an  awful 

state  if  he  did  but  know  it."  Aware  that  my  name  had  been 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  case,  I  refrained  from  say- 
ing anything  further.  In  a  few  moments  Mr.  F—  —  arose, 
stepped  forward  to  the  desk,  and  began  an  explanation.  The 
lady,  who  was  still  prostrate  on  the  floor,  evidently  in  burden 
for  him,  cried  out,  "You  have  a  confession  to  make."  He 
then  said,  "I  have  been  very  angry  since  these  meetings 
have  been  in  progress.  One  night  when  passing  out  of  the 
house,  I  said  in  the  hearing  of  several  persons,  'It  makes  me 
mad  to  see  how  these  preachers  act';  and  a  sinner  near  me 
said,  'If  that  is  so,  you  had  better  go  forward  for  prayers.' " 

"You  have  not  confessed  all,"  said  the  burdened  sister. 

The  preacher  continued,  "I  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
writing  for  mere  literary  papers  to  piece  out  my  salary ;  and 
my  articles  have  not  been  of  a  character  consistent  with  my 
call  to  the  Christian  ministry.  I  see  now  I  have  done  wrong 
in  this;  I  must  stop  it;  I  will." 

"There,  that  will  do,"  said  the  burdened  sister. 

It  was  now  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  entire  congregation 
was  still  waiting  to  see  the  end.  He  now  went  down  into 
the  altar,  and  asked  the  prayers  of  the  congregation. 

Some  of  the  membership  who  had  stood  aloof  from  the 
work,  and  whose  character  for  consistent  piety  was  not  the 
best,  now  gathered  around  him,  and  began  to  pray  for,  and 
to  talk  to  him.  I  finally  interfered,  and  said,  "You  had 

better  keep  still,  and  let  Sister  B lead  him.  She  can  do 

more  for  him  than  any  of  us." 

Twelve  o'clock  came,  and  still  his  friends  and  the  congrega- 
tion were  waiting  for  him.  He  now  began  to  talk  out  his 
thoughts  and  feelings.  "It  is  plain  to  me,"  he  said,  "that  if 
I  do  not  consent  to  take  the  track  Dr.  Redfield  does,  God 
will  leave  me."  Some  time  elapsed,  and  his  ministerial 
friend  asked,  "Brother  F ,  what  are  you  thinking  about?" 


412  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

He  replied,  "I  am  thinking  of  what  occupation  I  shall  take 
up?" 

About  two  o'clock    in   the   morning,  he   suddenly  arose, 

and  said  to  his  wife,  "Let    us  go."     Sister   B and    her 

husband  went  with  them  to  their  place  of  stopping,  and  as 
soon  as  he  came  from  his  room  in  the  morning,  she  renewed 
her  labors  with  him.  He  finally  refused  to  go  any  further 
and  in  a  short  time  became  an  opposer  of  the  work.  A  few 
years  after  he  left  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
united  with  an  unorthodox  denomination. 


CHAPTER  LX. 

ON  returning  to  St.  Charles,  Mr.  Redfield  found  that 
the  preacher  in  charge  had  taken  a  decided  stand  against  his 
holding  a  revival  meeting  there.  Among  his  reasons  for 
so  doing  he  said,  "I  have  been  sent  here  to  guard  this  pulpit 
against  Redfield  and  Coleman." 

"What  have  you  against  them?"  was  inquired. 

"Nothing,"  said  he;  "I  believe  them  both  to  be  good 
men;  and  they  are  doing  good;  but  they  must  be  sacrificed 
for  the  good  of  the  church." 

When  it  became  known  that  he  had  refused  the  pulpit  to 
Mr.  Redfield,  some  of  the  Baptist  people  suggested  that  he 
could  have  their  pulpit,  as  their  preacher  was  away.  Ac- 
cordingly, arrangements  were  made  for  Mr.  Redfield  to 
preach  in  their  church  for  one  Sunday,  which  he  did  morn- 
ing and  evening,  to  the  delight  of  the  pilgrims,  and  many 
outside  the  churches.  Mr.  Redfield  was  also  invited  Jto 
preach  the  following  Sunday,  to  which  he  consented,  and 
arrangements  were  made  for  it;  but  on  Saturday,  when  too 
late  to  take  up  the  appointment,  his  friends  were  informed 
that  he  could  not  have  the  pulpit.  Mr.  Howard,  the  Meth- 
odist pastor,  had  been  to  the  officers  of  the  church,  and  had 
presented  the  matter  in  such  a  light,  that  they  withdrew  their 
invitation.  A  trustee  of  the  Universalist  church,  which  was 
unoccupied  at  the  time,  overheard  the  conversation  in  re- 
gard to  the  Baptist  pulpit,  and  immediately  offered  theirs. 
As  it  was  too  late  to  circulate  the  action  of  the  Baptist  people, 
this  offer  was  accepted,  and  Mr.  Redfield  preached  morning 
and  evening  in  the  Universalist  church.  As  he  would  not 
leave  the  place  for  a  few  days,  he  also  preached  there  Mon- 
day evening. 

Monday  Mr.  Howard  went    to   Chicago    to  counsel  with 

(413) 


414  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Bishop  Simpson,  who  instructed  him  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
official  board,  and  decide  whether  in  its  judgment  the  mem- 
bers who  went  to  hear  Mr.  Redfield  preach  had  withdrawn 
from  the  church,  and  if  decided  in  the  affirmative,  he  should 
read  them  out  as  having  so  withdrawn.  He  returned,  and  called 
together  such  of  the  official  board  as  would  follow  his  leader- 
ship, and  they  declared  these  members  withdrawn.  A  ma- 
jority of  the  official  board,  who  were  not  present,  nor  knew 
of  the  meeting,  were  declared  withdrawn,  as  well  as  five  out 
of  nine  of  the  trustees  of  the  church.  Fourteen  persons 
were  thus  declared  withdrawn,  though  one  of  them,  a  broth- 
er's wife,  was  not  a  member  of  the  church. 

Wednesday  evening  these  persons,  with  no  knowledge  of 
what  had  occurred,  went  to  the  church  prayer  meeting  as 
usual.  But  Mr.  Howard,  contrary  to  the  usual  custom  in  that 
church,  announced  that  he  would  call  on  those  he  desired 
to  have  pray,  and  the  old  workers  in  the  church  were  all  left 
out.  Sister  Foot,  a  woman  above  sixty  years  of  age,  and 
more  than  ordinarily  intelligent  and  cultivated,  when  she 
perceived  the  object  of  Mr.  Howard,  groaned  aloud.  He 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  in  a  loud  voice  commanded  her  to  be 
silent.  Thinking  she  would  be  unable  to  control  her  sorrow, 
she  arose  and  left  the  house;  when  outside  the  door,  her  feel- 
ings gave  way  and  she  cried  aloud  for  God  to  have  mercy. 

At  the  close  of  the  prayer  meeting,  Mr.  Howard  read 
them  out  of  the  church.  On  Sunday  morning  this  was  re- 
peated, and  when  the  quarterly  meeting  came  some  time 
after,  they  were  read  out  as  withdrawn  the  third  time. 

Under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  the  office  of  a 
trustee  of  a  religious  corporation  becomes  vacant  only  by  ex- 
piration, death,  or  resignation.  Five  of  the  persons  read  out 
were  trustees,  a  majority  of  the  board.  Their  places  had 
to  be  declared  vacant  by  resignation,  as  they  were  all  alive, 
and  their  term  of  office  had  not  expired.  These  men,  none 
of  them,  resigned;  therefore  somebody  had  to  make  an  affi- 


AGAIN  AT  ST.  CHARLES.  415 

davit  before  a  magistrate,  that  they  had  resigned.  But  such 
was  the  heat  of  opposition  to  Mr.  Redfield  and  his  friends, 
that  this  was  done. 

I  returned  to  my  home  near  Elgin  that  same  week,  and 
hearing  that  Mr.  Redfield  was  holding  meetings  in  St. 
Charles,  I  went  there  on  Saturday.  On  the  train  I  found  a 
lay  brother  from  Marengo  on  the  same  errand.  We  got  off 
at  Wayne  Station,  and  walked  across  the  fields  to  the  house 
of  John  M.  Laughlin;  and  who  should  open  the  door  at  our 
knock,  but  Mr.  Redfield  himself.  As  soon  as  he  recognized 
us,  he  asked,  "Are  you  ready  to  lose  your  heads?"  We  were 
seated  and  the  matter  was  explained,  as  related  in  this  chapter. 

A  prayer  meeting  had  been  appointed  at  the  house  of 
Elisha  Foote,  a  man  seventy-five  years  of  age,  a  Methodist 
for  nearly  fifty  years,  and  a  brother-in-law  of  Rev.  John 
Clark,  noted  in  Methodist  history,  as  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians.  A  wagon  load  of  pilgrims  from  Mr.  Laughlin's 
went  to  that  prayer  meeting.  When  we  arrived  the  old 
man  was  offering  the  opening  prayer.  In  it  he  compared 
the  circumstances  of  the  company  to  those  of  the  children  of 
Israel  at  the  Red  Sea,  with  the  mountain  on  either  hand,  the 
sea  before  them,  and  the  enemy  behind;  and  he  pleaded  for 
divine  guidance  and  help.  The  crying  of  the  company  could 
be  heard  out  into  the  street.  When  he  ceased,  we  opened 
the  door,  and  to  our  astonishment,  instead  of  fourteen,  there 
were  more  than  sixty  present.  This  was  more  than  half  the 
membership  of  the  church. 

The  prayer  meeting  went  on.  Some  time  was  spent  in 
testimony,  and  save  one  exception,  that  in  the  old  man's 
prayer,  was  the  only  allusion  to  the  trouble,  in  the  entire 
meeting.  In  the  evening  another  prayer  meeting  was  held 
in  the  same  room.  The  company  was  larger  than  in  the 
morning.  Some  more  of  the  society,  and  some  from  the 
Baptist  and  Congregational  churches,  met  with  us.  The 
same  blessed  spirit  prevailed.  This  time  there  was  not  an  * 


416  LIFE  OF  JOHN  \V.  REDFIELD. 

allusion  to  the  trouble.  The  bliss  of  a  present  salvation  made 
them  blessedly  forgetful  of  it  all. 

While  Mr.  Redfield  was  waiting  here,  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing letters  which  will  explain  themselves: 

"\VAYNE  STATION,  October  20,  1859. 

"Dear  Brother  Rogers: — We  had  a  visit  from  Brother 
Coleman  and  wife  yesterday.  The  conference  refused  to 
grant  the  petition  of  the  First  church  of  Aurora,  to  supply 

the  pulpit  with  Brother  Coleman.     Presiding  Elder  A d 

said  he  should  not  go  back,  if  it  shut  every  store,  and  bank, 

and  church  in  the  city.      Presiding  Elder  H k  also  said, 

'This  stuff  has  got  to  be  put  down.'  But  the  people  in 
Aurora  say  they  will  get  a  hall,  or  build  a  church;  and 
Brother  C says  if  they  do,  he'll  preach  for  them. 

"We  have  just  heard  from  the  Genesee  Conference. 
They  have  expelled  at  least  three  more,  and  probably  will 
expel  others  before  the  conference  closes.  Well,  bless  the 
Lord !  We  expect  Brother  Roberts  out  here  in  a  few  days, 
and  shall  learn  more  of  the  particulars  about  the  doings 
there. 

"The  pilgrims  here  are  anxious  to  have  us  hold  a  meeting, 
here  this  fall.  But. whether  the  preacher  will  allow  it  or 
not  I  cannot  tell.  I  shall  not  ask  him  if  the  way  opens.*  I 
shall  obey  God  rather  than  man.  We  have  good  news  from 
St.  Louis.  God  is  favoring  Zion  in  the  Sixth  Street  church 
We  shall  stay  here  without  doubt  two  weeks  longer. 

"We  learn  that  without  doubt  the  Methodist  preachers 
generally  are  going  to  follow  the  Genesee  Conference,  if  they 
cannot  in  any  other  way  put  down  this  heresy,  as  they  call 
it.  But  while  Illinois  is  a  free  state  for  white  men,  I  think 
I  shall  obey  God  rather  than  men;  and  keep  going  on  as  long 
as  I  can. 

"Give  the  pilgrims  our  love. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

•This  was  baaed  npon  a  hope  that  the  Baptists  would  invite  him  to  hold  a 
meeting. 


LETTER  TO  MRS.  KENDALL.  417 

"ST.  CHARLES,  Kane  county,  111. 

October  24,  1859. 

"My  dear  Sister  Kendall: — We  have  long  wondered  why 
the  mails  did  not  bring  another  of  your  very  welcome  letters, 
all  of  which  we  preserve  with  great  care,  and  read  over  and 
over  again  to  the  precious  pilgrims  in  this  western  world. 
But  we  have  learned  from  Brother  Roberts  that  you  have 
been  quite  sick. 

"We  have  also  learned  of  the  infatuated  conduct  of  the 
Genesee  Conference  toward  those  precious  men,  whose  record 
of  fidelity  to  God  is  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Life.  How 
my  heart  takes  courage  to  breast  the  storm  when  I  learn  that 
men  are  found  in  this  nineteenth  century  who,  like  Luther,  can 
suffer,  but  cannot  yield  God's  rights.  These  facts  are  green 
spots  in  the  Sahara  of  formalism.  A  chord  has  been  touched 
that  vibrates  to  this  far  West,  in  many  an  honest  pilgrim's 
heart.  Yes,  they  feel  the  blow  that  struck  Roberts  and 
M'Creery,  and  now  has  fallen  on  the  heads  of  Stiles,  Cooley, 
Wells,  and  Burlingham.  And  you  may  confidently  believe 
that  hundreds  in  this  region  are  in  sympathy  with  these  men 
of  God.  Already  quite  a  number  of  prominent  laymen  have 
taken  the  stand  of  the  Albion  convention,  that  they  will  with- 
hold supplies  from  ministers  who  oppose  vital  godliness. 
Some  say  they  will  use  their  money  to  help  these  proscribed 
men  of  God. 

"I  am  not  surprised  at  the  developments  in  the  Genesee 
Conference.  But  they  came  sooner  than  I  expected.  I  think 
our  good  and  hopeful  brethren  will  soon  learn  that  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  will  never  wholly  reform. 
The  struggle  has  at  last  come.  May  God  help  us  in  love, 
kindness,  and  firmness  to  stand  for  the  right. 

"We  have  just  come  from  a  most  glorious  revival,  about 
sixty  miles  west  of  here.  We  witnessed  old  Bergen  power 
beyond  anything  I  have  seen  in  the  West  before.  Doors 
are  opening  all  around,  but  there  are  many  adversaries.  The 


418  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

presiding  elder  on  this  district  says  tms  work  must,  and  shall 
be,  put  down.  Father  Coleman,  whom  you  know,  took 
work  in  Aurora  last  year,  as  a  supply,  and  God  was  with 
him.  The  church  sent  a  petition  to  conference  to  have  him 
returned,  but  it  was  refused.  Such  is  the  spirit  manifested 
by  the  authorities  of  the  conference,  that  the  people  are  think- 
ing of  getting  a  hall  for  him.  The  conference  granted  a 
similar  petition  from  worldly  men  of  a  Universalist  stamp 
for  the  return  of  Lyon,  the  little  dandy  from  Buffalo,  against 
the  wishes  of  many  in  the  society. 

"If  Mattie's  health  will  permit,  we  expect  to  go  into  one 
or  two  more  battles  in  this  section  before  we  go  South.  The 
motto  given  Sister  Roberts,  'Go  thorough, but  hurry,'  I  have 
adopted.  I  shall  do  all  I  can  for  Jesus  until  I  am  stopped. 
We  shall  look  for  you  and  Sister  Hardy  to  visit  the  people 
in  this  region  before  long. 

"We  desire  more  full  details  of  the  conference  proceed- 
ings, and  Brother  Purdy's  camp  meeting.  I  learn,  in  a 
round-about  way,  that  they  have  cracked  the  whip  in  Brother 
Purdy's  face.  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  nothing  but  that  will 
open  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that  he  has  nothing  to  hope  on  the 
fence.  I  think,  now,  he  will  be  likely  to  herd  with  the  pil- 
grims, fight  their  battles,  and  share  their  persecutions. 

"The  Lord  bless  you  forever. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  LXI. 

IN  a  short  time  Mr.  Redfield  returned  to  St.  Louis.  The 
evening  before  he  started  was  spent  in  company  with  the 
writer.  No  one  else  was  present,  Mrs.  Redfield  and  the 
family  with  whom  they  were  stopping  being  away  at  a 
prayer  meeting.  Mr.  Redfield  gave  the  entire  evening  to  a 
review  of  his  life  work.  It  was  more  in  the  form  of  soliloquy, 
or  thinking  aloud,  than  a  narrative.  He  dwelt  much  on  the 
gloomy  side.  He  spoke  of  place  after  place  where  he  had 
labored,  places  where  Methodism  was  nearly  extinct,  or 
struggling  for  an  existence,  where  by  the  blessing  of  God  he 
had  been  instrumental  in  increasing  the  membership  until  the 
societies  were  strong  enough  to  support  the  other  class  of 
ministers,  who  would  then  go  to  work  deliberately  to  destroy 
their  peculiarly  Methodistic  character.  After  spending  some 
time  in  this  manner,  during  which  for  several  minutes  at  a 
time  the  large  tears  would  run  down  his  face,  he  at  last 
began  to  look  on  the  brighter  side.  In  Burlington,  Ver- 
mont, he  could  name  a  few  who  were  holding  out  firm  and 
strong.  In  Syracuse,  Rochester,  and  Albion,  in  New  York 
state;  in  Appleton  and  Beaver  Dam,  Wisconsin;  in  Marengo, 
Woodstock,  Elgin,  Mount  Pleasant,  St.  Charles,  and  Quincy, 
in  Illinois;  and  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  there  were  some  tried 
and  true.  As  he  talked  of  them  and  the  probability  of  their 
getting  through  to  the  skies,  he  became  joyous  in  the 
extreme.  This  singular  evening  was  concluded  with  prayer, 
in  which  he  prayed  for  many  of  these  pilgrims  by  name, 
with  evidently  a  keen  perception  of  their  peculiarities  and 
difficulties.  Could  those  favored  ones  have  been  within 
hearing  of  that  remarkable  prayer,  it  would  have  been  to 
them  a  matter  of  almost  priceless  value.  It  is  not  every  one 
who  has  such  a  friend,  or  a  friend  in  such  communion  and 

power  with  God. 

(419) 


420  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

On  their  arrival  at  St.  Louis^  he  found  that  disaster  had 
overtaken  the  new  society,  and  its  membership  reduced  from 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  to  about  one  hundred.  After 
he  left  them  in  the  spring,  they  employed  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Dunbar  to  preach  for  them.  He  was  the  reputed 
author  of  the  Sunday-school  hymn,  titled,  "A  light  in  the 
window  for  thee."  He  came,  and  for  a  season  his  sensational 
style  drew  large  crowds.  He  insisted  upon  the  society  going 
into  larger  quarters,  at  an  expense  of  $1200.00  per  year,  and 
their  paying  him  nearly  as  much;  besides  which  he  rented  a 
theatre  for  a  Sunday  afternoon  appointment.  Altogether, 
the  financial  burden  became  so  great,  that  soon  murmurs 
began  to  arise.  Brother  Wickcrsham,  a  careful,  successful 
financier,  in  his  own  business,  remonstrated.  He  thereby 
got  in  the  way  of  this  lofty  man,  and  was  crowded  by  him 
until  he  could  endure  it  no  longer,  and  he  withdrew  from  the 
church.  This  caused  others  to  do  the  same.  The  enthusiasm 
was  checked;  the  revival  spirit  was  lost.  The  society  now 
refused  to  be  led  by  this  hair-brained  fellow;  and  then  he 
left  them,  taking  what  would  go  with  him  to  the  Mariners' 
Bethel.  In  a  few  months  he  fled  the  city,  and  three  or  four 
years  after  he  was  arrested  and  tried  on  a  charge  of  bigamy, 
and  sent  to  the  penitentiary  in  Minnesota. 

When  Mr.  Redfield  saw  the  desolation  this  man  had 
caused,  he  was  nearly  heart-broken.  It  so  wrought  upon 
his  mind  as  to  induce  a  slight  stroke  of  paralysis.  He  was 
now  obliged  to  cease  entirely  from  all  public  labor  for  a  sea- 
son, and  put  himself  under  medical  treatment.  By  spring 
he  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  preach  again,  but 
the  society  had  lost  its  prestige,  though  those  who  had  fol- 
lowed Dunbar  returned. 

But  the  work  in  other  parts  was  prospering. 

Three  miles  south  of  Elgin,  on  Fox  River,  was  a  village 
of  about  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants,  then  known  as  Clinton- 
ville.  Years  before,  it  had  been  a  Methodist  appointment, 


THE  NEW  SOCIETIES  INCREASE.  421 

but  long  since  had  been  abandoned.  There  were  a  few 
faithful  Methodists  living  in  and  round  about  the  place. 
Two  local  preachers,  C.  E.  Harroun,  the  one  saved  in  Mr. 
Redfield's  first  meeting  in  St.  Charles,  and  D.  F.  Shephard- 
son,  went  into  the  place  and  commenced  a  meeting.  Soon 
the  Spirit  began  to  be  poured  out  in  great  power  and  many 
were  converted. 

The  little  band  in  St.  Charles,  which  had  been  read  out 
of  the  church,  within  a  fortnight  found  their  number  to  be 
about  sixty,  and  that  something  must  be  done  to  provide  for 
them.  They  rented  some  rooms  on  the  ground  floor  of  an 
unoccupied  hotel,  and  by  taking  out  some  partitions,  prepared 
and  seated  a  place  for  worship,  which  would  seat  about  two 
hundred  people.  The  first  Sunday  in  which  they  occupied 
it,  the  writer  and  another  local  preacher  were  present,  and 
were  invited  to  preach.  At  the  close  of  the  morning  service, 
the  writer  was  invited  by  this  band  to  preach  for  them,  and 
accepted  the  invitation.  By  the  following  March,  they  num- 
bered one  hundred  and  twelve. 

Rev.  I.  H.  Fairchild,  a  local  preacher  belonging  in 
Woodstock,  invited  the  family  of  his  brother-in-law,  L.  H. 
Bishop,  to  assist  him  in  holding  a  protracted  meeting  at  a 
country  school-house,  where  there  had  been  no  preaching 
for  about  fifteen  years.  He  was  no  singer,  while  they,  five 
in  number,  were  all  good  singers,  and  could  be  of  great  help 
to  him  in  the  work.  In  a  few  weeks  about  forty  had  been 
converted,  many  of  them  heads  of  families. 

The  question  now  arose  at  each  one  of  these  places, 
"What  shall  we  do  with  the  converts?"  and  Mr.  Redfield 
was  sought  for  advice.  What  the  advice  was  and  his  rea- 
sons for  it,  can  be  best  given  in  his  own  words.  He  says,  "I 
well  knew  that  we  must  now  show  our  hand,  if  we  meant 
the  Methodist  Church  to  see  the  need  of  permitting  Method- 
ists to  enjoy  Methodism.  So  I  wrote  to  them  for  the  first 

to  keep  every  one,  and  organize   under  the  Discipline  as  we 
29 


422  LIKK  OK  JOHN  W.  REDMELD. 

had  in  St.  Louis.  This  wjis  being  clone  in  the  East  also,  and 
I  thought  that  it  might  lead  the  General  Conference  to  meet 
in  May  of  the  next  year,  to  correct  the  abuses  from  which  we 
had  suffered,  re-instate  the  members  and  ministers  who  had 
been  excluded,  and  give  us  guarantees  that  the  preaching  of 
living  Methodism  would  be  sustained." 

This  advice  was  accepted,  and  three  societies  were  organ- 
ized; and  waited  the  action  of  the  General  Conference  in  May. 

But  there  were  some  encouragements  to  Mr.  Redfield 
amid  all  that  he  was  called  to  suffer.  Some  good  fruit  re- 
mained, and  some  of  the  saints  who  had  gone  through  the 
fire  with  him  were  passing  away  to  their  reward  in  clouds 
of  glory  that  showed  that  the  narrow  way  he  had  chosen  led 
to  joys  immortal. 

The  following  account  of  the  life  and  death  of  Mary 
Ferguson,  of  St.  Louis,  furnished  by  Mrs.  T.  S.  La  Due, 
formerly  Mrs.  Kendall,  relates  to  one  of  these.  She  says: 

"Mary  Ferguson  was  a  favorite  everywhere,  welcomed 
alike  by  young  and  old  in  the  church.  No  church  party  or 
sociable  was  considered  complete  without  her  wit  and  beauty. 
Pastors  and  presiding  elders  made  her  welcome  to  their 
families,  the  more  as  she  was  the  only  daughter  of  a  widowed 
mother,  and  refined  and  very  intelligent  as  a  companion. 
Not  one  of  them,  she  told  me  had  ever  treated  her  other- 
wise than  as  a  perfect  creature  ready  for  heaven  at  any  hour. 

"Her  beauty  was  uncommon,  and  her  brothers  and  friends 
were  anxious  to  see  it  set  off  in  ornaments  and  gay  apparel 
as  the  world  judges  of  beauty.  She  needed  none.  Her 
graceful  form,  intellectual  head,  large,  lustrious  black  eyes, 
with  tender  drooping  lashes,  glossy  raven  hair,  parted 
smoothly  back  from  a  high,  white  forehead,  delicately 
molded  features,  which  usually  wore  a  very  thoughtful 
expression,  needed  no  setting  by  human  arts. 

"No  minister  or  class-leader  had  ever  intimated  to  her  that 
the  ornaments  she  wore  were  not  in  keeping  with  her  profes- 
sion— their  own  families  wore  them. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MARY  FERGUSON.  423 

"She  had  been  taken  into  the  church  without  a  change  of 

O 

heart,  or  even  conviction,  which  to  all  real  Methodists  means 
a  putting  off  the  old  man  so  completely  that  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  the  new  man  is  put  on,  and  as  an  evi- 
dence that  Christ  is  within  the  fruits  are  seen.  Up  to  the 
time  she  heard  Dr.  Redfield's  searching  sermons  on  the  new 
birth,  the  crucifixion  of  self,  the  strait  gate  and  the  narrow 
way,  Mary  never  had  dreamed  of  such  experiences  as  the 
right  of  the  believer  in  Jesus.  With  other  formalists,  she 
gaily  looked  on,  full  of  caviling  and  doubt. 

"She  ventured  in  one  day,  however,  to  a  social  meeting 
with  other  church  members.  Se  was  drawn  by  a  love  for 
the  honesty  and  earnestness  of  the  doctor's  appeals.  That 
day  he  was  lead  very  clearly,  he  said,  to  pray  for  her  as  one 
who  was  stabbing  Jesus  to  the  heart,  by  giving  the  lie  to  her 
profession — living,  dressing,  acting  like  a  child  of  the  devil, 
while  solemnly  pretending  to  be  a  child  of  God. 

"She  was  shocked,  mortified,  outraged  that  a  minister 
should  so  dare  to  insult  her  before  such  a  company.  She  de- 
clared she  would  never  be  found  in  his  presence  again;  and 
when,  after  a  few  evenings,  she  was  persuaded  to  hear  him 
once  more  in  the  Sixth  street  church,  near  her  mother's 
house,  she  was  still  so  indignant  that  as  he  arose  in  the  pul- 
pit, she  resolutely  turned  her  back  to  the  end  of  the  pew  that 
she  might  not  see  his  face. 

"He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  when  the  truth 
came  with  such  power  that  she  said  she  was  seized  as  by  an 
invisible  hand  and  wrenched  around  in  her  seat  till  she  found 
herself  gazing  into  his  face,  and  felt  the  tears  rolling  down 
her  cheeks,  with  neither  power  nor  disposition  to  turn  away. 
That  night  she  was  converted — born  again — and,  for  the 
first  time  in  her  life,  tasted  rest  and  everlasting  joy.  Oh, 
how  she  praised  God  that  one  minister  had  dared  to  deal 
faithfully  with  her  soul.  That  prayer,  which  had  roused  all 
the  slumbering  rebellion  in  her  heart,  had  revealed  her  real 


424  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDFIELD. 

condition  ami  constrained  her  to  fly  to  Christ  and  be  saved. 
She  hastened  home,  and  told  her  mother.  Stepping  to  the 
glass,  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  long,  white  plume 
upon  her  hat.  'Slowly  and  solemnly,'  her  mother  told  me, 
she  laid  aside  the  hat,  took  off  the  plume,  stripped  the  heavy 
gold  rings  from  her  fingers,  unfastened  the  brooch  at  her 
throat,  and  the  glittering  pendants  from  her  ears;  then  step- 
ping to  the  grate,  where  a  bright  fire  was  burning,  laid  the 
costly  plume  upon  the  glowing  coals,  and  stood  and  watched 
it  burn  with  evident  satisfaction,  saying  to  her  mother,  'Oh, 
how  light  I  feel!  The  world  is  gone /' 

"Her  mother,  for  a  moment,  feared  she  did  not  realize  all 
she  was  doing,  but  was  very  soon  reassured  by  her  account 
of  what  the  Holy  Spirit  had  that  evening  written  upon  her 
heart. 

"She  talked  with  members  and  ministers  of  her  former  in- 
consistent course  of  life,  living  like  a  mere  butterfly  of  fash- 
ion, going  the  round  of  pleasure,  sociable,  party,  ride,  con- 
cert, etc.,  like  a  very  child  of  the  world,  an  utter  stranger  to 
the  joys  of  everlasting  life. 

"She  told  me  she  wrote  very  plain  letters  to  those  minis- 
ters who  had  been  foremost  in  leading  her  into  these  gay 
scenes,  expostulating  with  them  for  their  lack  of  faithfulness, 
and  warning  them  that  unless  they  repented  as  she  had,  they 
must  expect  to  wake  up  in  the  world  of  woe!  These  letters 
were  never  answered.  One  by  one,  old  friends  and  flatterers 
forsook  her,  even  ministers  and  presiding  elders  that  ought 
to  have  rejoiced  with  her. 

"She  had  turned  her  back  upon  the  world,  and  the  worjd 
turned  its  back  upon  her.  This  gave  her  a  fresh  evidence 
that  she  was  a  child  of  God,  and  all  alone  in  her  chamber 
she  settled  it  with  the  Lord,  again,  and  again,  that  she  would 
endure  unto  the  end.  As  her  consecration  was  tested  and 
she  did  not  waver,  immortal  joys  were  poured  into  her  heart, 
such  as  she  had  never  dreamed  a  mortal  could  know! 


ACCOUNT  OF  MARY  FERGUSON.  425 

*********** 
"But  consumption  brought  her  to  ah  early  grave.  Yet — 
oh!  the  glory  that  was  let  down  into  that  sick-chamber!  I 
used  to  love  to  sit  by  her  bedside  and  hear  her  tell  of  the 
visits  from  Jesus  she  was  permitted  to  enjoy,  in  the  long 
night-watches.  As  pain  increased  and  she  was  confined  to 
her  room,  and  only  now  and  then  one  came  in,  to  whom  she 
could  confide  the  joys  and  conflicts  of  'her  heart,  Satan 
pressed  her  sore  to  complain,  but  she  looked  to  Jesus,  and 
power  came  to  rejoice!  There  were  times  she  said,  when 
heavenly  music  was  given  to  quiet  her  restless  nerves.  I 
think  it  was  even  so,  for  at  times  such  an  unearthly  beauty 
would  gather  on  her  fair  face,  and  the  eyes  glow  with  such 
spiritual  depth  and  beauty  as  we  talked  of  the  things  of  God, 
and  she  tried  to  describe  to  me  the  strains  of  melody  that 
floated  down  into  her  soul  from  the  upper  choir,  that  I  felt 
like  one  entranced,  such  was  the  heavenly  hush  of  sacred 
awe! 

"She  said  to  Dr.  Redfield  one  day,  as  he  was  leaving  the 
city  for  a  short  time,  and  he  was  telling  her  of  the  many 
temptations  he  had  to  discouragement,  on  account  of  the 
murderous  spirit  that  was  roused  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  min- 
isters and  presiding  elders  publishing  and  threatening  to  ar- 
rest him,  official  members  declaring  if  they  could  meet  him 
on  the  street  anywhere  they  would  horsewhip  him,  etc.,  etc. 
'Doctor,  you  ought  to  praise  God  that  you  ever  came  to  St. 
Louis,  if  only  my  soul  is  saved!  I  mean  to  endure  to  the 
end,  and  I  may  go  soon — I  think  I  shall,  and  I  want  you  to 
preach  my  funeral  sermon.  Tell  them  what  I  was  saved 
from\  and  remember  if  I  go  first,  and  I  am  permitted,  I  will 
stand  on  the  battlements  of  glory  and  be  the  first  to  hail  you 
as  you  come  up!'  The  Doctor  promised  to  remember  her 
request,  and  wept  for  joy  to  see  such  fidelity  to  God  in  one 
so  young  and  so  lately  separated  from  all  the  world  calls 
promising. 


426  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

"A  few  weeks  after  this,  she  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  witness- 
ing  to  the  last,  that  she  had  no  regrets  in  leaving  the  world. 
Jesus'  image  was  so  reflected,  from  her  very  countenance  lit 
up  with  glory,  and  her  calm,  joyful  messages  to  the  brothers 
away,  that  no  one  ever  doubted  for  a  moment,  but  that  she 
was  ready,  when  Jesus  called  her  to  the  mansions  above. 

"She  gave  directions  to  her  mother  for  the  funeral,  re- 
questing as  a  favor,  that  there  be  no  display  beyond  the 
presence  of  her  Bible  class  as  pall-bearers. 

"She  desired  to  be  laid  out  in  a  simple  white  mull,  with- 
out flowers,  except  in  her  hand;  and  as  was  the  custom  for 
young  people,  in  a  plain  white  velvet  coffin.  Dr.  Redfield 
was  in  the  city,  and  preached  as  she  had  desired,  dwelling 
much  on  the  rich  reward  of  those  who  are  to  'come  up 
through  great  tribulation,  having  washed  their  robes  and 
made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.' 

"To  me  it  was  the  most  glorious  funeral  I  ever  attended! 
Sorrow  seemed  to  flee  away,  as  the  white  coffin  was  borne 
down  the  aisle  of  the  church  to  the  front,  and  those  twelve 
young  ladies  dressed  in  pure  white,  were  seated  around  it, 
bearing  a  faint  resemblance  to  the  purity  of  her  who  had 
gone,  and  to  the  home  where  she  was  now  safely  housed 
forever  and  ever  ! 

"A  large  concourse  of  people  were  present.  The  brothers 
from  a  distance  were  there,  who  had  been  very  proud  of 
their  sister  while  she  was  gay,  and  when  they  heard  the 
account  of  her  glorious  conversion  and  happy  death,  and 
messages  to  them,  trembled  like  stricken  men,  and  were 
forced  to  acknowledge  there  was  a  reality  in  the  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  Doctor  was  deeply  affected  as  he  gave 
the  closing  scenes  of  her  life,  and  her  last  exhortation  to  him, 
to  praise  God  if  only  she  -was  saved  as  fruit  of  all  his  toil  and 
suffering  in  spirit  in  St.  Louis.  Perhaps  he  remembered 
the  counsels  of  his  own  sister  Mary,  who  had  so  often  en- 
couraged him  to  endure  unto  the  end!  As  the  saints  were 


ACCOUNT  OF  MARY  FERGUSON.  427 

singing  at  the  close  the  favorite  hymns  of  the  pilgrims  in 
those  days,  'We're  going  home  to  die  no  more,'  and  the 
'Beautiful  world,'  when  they  came  to  the  chorus,  'Palms  of 
victory,  crowns  of  glory,  we  shall  wear  in  that  beautiful 
world  on  high,'  the  glory  of  God  filled  the  place,  and 
many  who  had  been  saved  in  the  Sunday-school  were 
greatly  blessed.  The  relatives  kindly  furnished  a  number 
of  carriages,  so  that  several  of  us  could  accompany  the 
remains  to  their  resting  place  in  the  cemetery  six  miles  south 
of  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

"We  gathered  about  her  after  she  was  tenderly  laid 
away,  and  sang  as  a  band  of  pilgrims  traveling  to  the  same 
home,  that  song  again,  over  her  grave,  'Beautiful  world'; 
and  as  often  as  we  came  to  the  refrain,  'Palms  of  victory, 
crowns  of  glory,  we  shall  wear  in  that  beautiful  world  on 
high,'  waves  of  joy  rolled  over  us  as  we  thought  that  one 
more  was  added  to  'the  innumerable  company,'  'redeemed 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb!'  As  we  returned  to  the 
city,  some  of  us  were  so  blessed  as  we  sang  on  our  way, 
that  several  lost  their  strength  in  the  carriages,  and  shouted 
loud  hallelujahs!  Never  have  I  known  of  such  a  glorious 
funeral  as  that  was,  the  first  fruits  unto  God  of  Dr.  Redfield's 
labors  in  the  city  of  .St.  Louis.  By  several,  it  was  thought 
to  be  a  remarkable  coincidence,  that  when  Dr.  Redfield 
received  his  final  stroke  of  paralysis,  that  those  in  the  room 
with  him  as  he  breathed  his  last,  felt  a  strong  and  clear  im- 
pression that  Mary's  spirit  was  indeed  hovering  near.  Who 
knows  but  that  she  did  come  to  the  battlements,  and  looking 
over,  send  a  salute  down  to  hail  the  one  who  had  dared  to 
tear  off  the  bandage  from  her  eyes  when  closed  by  sin,  and 
cause  her  so  to  see  herself  that  she  flew  to  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  gave  up  all  forever,  and  was  saved !" 

On  February  14,  1860,  Mr.  Redfield  wrote  the  following 
letter  referring  to  events  then  occurring  in  various  quarters: 


428  LIFE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIEI.D. 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Foot: — "So  greatly  does  my 
large  correspondence  press  me  that  I  am  compelled  to 
make  one  letter  do  for  a  place,  or  I  should  have  written 
to  you  before.  I  learn  by  way  of  Brother  Tyler  of 
your  prosperity.  I  am  learning  from  various  quarters 
where  they  have  heard  of  the  stand  you  have  taken 
that  the  same  thing  for  the  same  cause  is  contemplated.  I 
feel  deeply  burdened  at  the  melancholy  sight  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  in  arms  against  effective  Methodism; 
and  putting  fidelity  to  Methodism  down  as  a  capital  offense, 
and  rending  the  church  in  an  effort  to  rid  it  of  soul-saving 
piety.  I  have  long  seen  the  tendency  to  this,  and  trembled 
at  the  threatening  division,  which  must  come  if  one  party  or 
the  other  would  not  abandon  its  position.  But  I  saw  clearly 
that  if  the  pilgrim  party  compromised  God's  rights,  and  low- 
ered the  standard  of  piety  at  the  demand  of  the  other,  all 
efficiency  for  soul-saving  would  be  at  an  end,  and  our  church 
would  sink  into  a  powerless  formalism. 

"February  27. 

"You  see  by  my  dates  that  I  have  been  interrupted.  The 
fact  is,  we  have  been  passing  through  a  squall.  Our 
preacher  here  proved  to  be  well  calculated  to  stir  up  strife, 
by  going  from  one  to  another  and  retailing  the  stuff  that  our 
enemies  invented.  Both  he  and  one  of  our  leading  men 
have  been,  and  still  are,  trying  to  rend  us  in  pieces.  That 
man.  is  bent  on  ruling  or  ruining  us.  But  Got!  is  still  with 
us,  and  though  they  have  left  and  taken  as  many  as  they 
could  persuade  to  go  with  them,  trusting  in  God,  we  expect 
to  live  and  enlarge  our  borders.  We  have  a  good  and  reli- 
able membership,  who  are  now  engaged  in  planning  for  a 
new  church.  We  expect  that  our  late  preacher  will  soon 
run  his  race  and  leave  the  city. 

"I  have  just  received  a  call  from  Mt.  Vernon,  Iowa,  to 
come,  or  send  some  one  to  preach  the  salvation  that  saves. 
The  writer,  a  stranger  to  me,  saw  the  report  given  of  my 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  FOOT  AND  MR.  ROGERS.      429 

connection  with  your  affairs  at  St.  Charles,  and  wrote  to  me 
for  explanations.  I  answered,  giving  a  full  account  of  the 
matter.  I  have  now  received  another  letter  stating  that  the 
same  opposition  had  developed  there,  and  for  the  same  cause; 
and  the  faithful  are  now  threatened  with  expulsion  if  they 
persist  in  praying  for  and  exhorting  the  church.  The  spirit 
of  the  letter  seems  to  be  right,  and  as  well  as  I  can  judge 
from  its  tone,  and  the  manner  of  reporting  the  facts,  that  it 
is  not  a  fault-finding  spirit,  but  an  honest  desire  to  see  the 
cause  of  God  prosper. 

"I  write  this  much   to  prepare  the  way  to  ask  if  Brother 

T cannot   go  to  their  relief.     At  all  events  I  wish  he 

would  write  and  learn  the  state  of  things,  and  get  what  items 
of  information  as  may  be  needed  to  form  an  opinion  as  to 
what  is  best  to  be  done.  Please  communicate  with  Brother 
T about  it. 

"Has  Brother  Cooley  come  yet?  Brother  Roberts  wrote 
me  that  he  would  hasten  him  on,  although  he  was  greatly 
needed  there.  But  they  are  careful  to  do  nothing,  more  than 
they  can  help,  to  prejudice  their  case  before  the  coming  Gen- 
eral Conference.  After  that,  if  nothing  is  done  to  make 
things  right,  a  conference  will  be  organized,  and  then  your 
place  will  be  provided  for  regularly. 

"Love  to  all. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

On  March  26th,  he  wrote  to  Brother  Rogers  as  follows: 

"I  long  to  hear  from  you,  and  learn  of  the  state  of 
religion  among  you.  We  have  been  having  a  trying  time 
here,  but  the  Lord  has  conquered  for  us.  We  expect  to  go 
to  work  to  build  a  new  church  at  once. 

"This  mighty  work  is  rapidly  spreading,  and  my  calls 
are  far  more  than  I  can  accept.  I  expect  from  present 
appearances,  that  after  the  General  Conference,  we  shall  have 
another  conference  organized,  which  will  carry  the  battle  to 


430  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

the  gates,  and  we  shall  sec  a  great  and  glorious  revival  of 
genuine  Methodism,  carried  on  by  local  preachers.  If  the 
conference  preachers  will  not  go  the  way,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  the  local  preachers  will. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

April  6th,  1860,  he  writes  again  to  Brother  and  Sister 
Foot,  as  follows: 

"Your  welcome  letter  was  duly  received;  but  my  large 
correspondence  prevented  me  from  answering  until  now. 
Every  sentiment  of  my  heart  is  enlisted  in  your  behalf.  God 
is  raising  up  a  great  people,  and  you  in  St.  Charles  have  the 
honor  and  disgrace  of  standing  foremost.  I  have  written 
Brother  Roberts  to  hold  on,  and  not  send  a  preacher  to  you 
until  after  the  General  Conference.  It  begins  to  look  as 
though  we  will  have  to  organize  immediately  after  that,  in  a 
permanent  form.  I  am  greatly  rejoiced  that  God  has  raised 
up  a  preacher  for  you.  Please  send  a  statement  of  your 
wants  and  condition  to  Brother  Roberts. 

"I  send  you  a  number  of  circulars,  and  desire  that  all  the 
pilgrims  will  give  us  at  least  ten  cents  each  towards  building 
a  church  here.  The  lot  will  cost  $10,000.  We  want  to 
build  two  more  to  meet  the  wants  of  this  great  city.  But 
we  are  poor,  and  need  help. 

"Yours, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  LXII. 

A  LAYMEN'S  Convention  was  called  to  meet  in  Olean, 
February  i  and  2,  1860.  As  the  principal  members  of 
the  church  in  that  place  were  in  sympathy  with  the  conven- 
tion, it  was  designed  to  hold  it  in  the  Methodist  church;  but 
upon  an  application  by  a  member  of  the  church,  Judge  Green 
granted  an  injunction  upon  the  trustees  restraining  them 
from,  and  forbidding  them  to,  open  the  edifice  for  that 
purpose.  With  commendable  liberality,  the  trustees  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  tendered  the  use  of  their  house,  which 
was  accepted. 

At  10:00  o'clock,  on  Wednesday  morning,  Abner  I. 
Wood,  president  of  the  convention  held  at  Albion,  December 
I  and  2,  1858,  called  the  convention  to  order,  and  S.  K.  J. 
Chesbro,  secretary,  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office.  After 
prayer,  the  call  for  the  convention  was  read.  The  first  ac- 
tion of  the  convention  was  to  provide  for  the  administration 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,  by  requesting  Rev.  Loren  Stiles  to 
officiate  in  the  evening. 

When  the  names  of  delegates  were  handed  in,  it  was 
found  that  every  charge  in  the  Genesee  Conference  was  rep- 
resented. 

A  "Free  Methodist  Church"  had  been  organized,  and  a 
delegate  from  that  organization  was  invited  to  a  seat  in  the 
convention. 

The  following  petition  to  the  General  Conference  was 
adopted,  and  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  circulate 
it  through  the  conference  for  signatures. 

"To  the  Bishops  and  Members  of  the  General  Conference  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  be  held  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  May  i,  1860. 
"Reverend  Fathers  and  Brethren: — We,  the  undersigned, 

(431) 


432  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIKLD. 

members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  bounds 
of  the  Genesee  Conference,  respectfully  represent  to  your 
reverend  body,  that  a  very  unpleasant  state  of  things  prevails 
in  the  church  throughout  this  conference.  This  difficulty 
has  grown  out  of  the  action  of  the  conference.  Many  hon- 
estly believe  this  action  to  have  been  wrong  and  oppressive. 
We,  therefore,  ask  your  reverend  body  to  give  to  the  judicial 
action  of  the  Genesee  Conference,  by  which  six  of  the  min- 
isters, to  wit:  B.  T.  Roberts,  J.  M'Creery,J.  A.  Wells,  Wil- 
liam Cooley,  L.  Stiles,  and  C.  D.  Burlingham,  have  been  ex- 
pelled from  the  conference  and  the  church,  a  fuil  and  careful 
investigation,  trusting  you  will  come  to  such  decision  as 
righteousness  demands.  We  also  ask  your  reverend  body  so 
to  amend  the  judicial  law  of  the  church,  as  to  secure  to  the 
ministers  and  members  the  right  of  trial  by  an  impartial  com- 
mittee." 

A  petition  to  the  General  Conference  asking  for  the  inser- 
tion of  an  anti-slavery  chapter  in  the  Discipline  was  also 
adopted  by  the  convention.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  that 
petition : 

"Reverend  Fathers  and  Brethren: — Inasmuch  as  there  are 
now  known  to  be,  in  the  slave  states,  many  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who  hold  their  fellow  beings, 
and  even  their  brethren  in  Christ,  as  slaves,  contrary  to  natu- 
ral justice  and  the  gospel  of  Christ;  and  whereas,  we  believe 
the  buying,  selling,  or  holding  of  a  human  being  as  property, 
is  a  sin  against  God,  and  should  in  no  wise  be  tolerated  in 
the  church  of  Christ:  therefore, 

"We,  the  undersigned,  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  the  -  -  charge,  Genesee  Conference, 
would  earnestly  petition  your  reverend  body  to  place  a 
chapter  in  the  Discipline  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  that  will 
exclude  all  persons  from  the  M.  E.  Church  or  her  com- 
munion, who  shall  be  guilty  of  holding,  buying,  or  selling, 
or  in  any  way  using  a  human  being  as  a  slave." 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  LAYMEN'S  CONVENTION.         433 

With  the  new  year,  Mr.  Roberts  had  commenced  to 
publish  a  monthly  magazine,  called  the  Earnest  Christian, 
which  called  forth  the  following  resolution,  which  was 
adopted  by  the  convention: 

"Resolved,  That  we  are  highly  pleased  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  Earnest  Christian.  The  articles,  thus  far, 
prove  it  to  be  just  what  is  needed  at  this  time,  when  a  con- 
forming and  superficial  Christianity  is  prevailing  everywhere. 
We  hail  it  with  delight  among  us;  and  we  pledge  ourselves 
to  use  our  exertions  to  extend  its  circulation." 

The  committee  on  resolutions  reported  as  follows: 

"God  deals  with  us  as  individuals.  No  man  or  body  of 
men  can  take  the  responsibility  of  our  actions.  It  is  a  Bible 
doctrine,  very  clearly  taught,  that  'every  one  must  give 
account  of  himself  to  God.'  . 

"Ministers  cannot  take  into  their  hands  the  keeping  of 
our  consciences.  The  right  of  private  judgment  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  the  great  Protestant  Reformation.  It  forms 
the  basis  of  all  true  religion.  No  person  who  does  not  act 
and  think  for  himself  -can  enjoy  either  the  sanctifying  or 
justifying  grace  of  God.  When  John  Wesley  was  told  that 
he  could  'not  continue  in  the  Church  of  England,  because  he 
could  not  in  principle  submit  to  her  determinations,'  he 
replied:  'If  that  were  necessary,  I  could  not  be  a  member  of 
any  church  under  heaven;  for  I  must  still  insist  upon  the 
right  of  private  judgment.  I  cannot  yield  either  implicit 
faith  or  obedience  to  any  man  or  number  of  men  under 
heaven.' 

"This  is  equally  true  of  every  honest  man.  Incur  church, 
the  government  i?  vested  exclusively  in  the  ministry;  the 
bishops  appointing  the  preachers  to  whatever  charge  they 
please,  and  thus  having  the  power  to  influence  them  to  a 
great  extent,  if  not  absolutely  to  control  them,  by  the  hope 
of  obtaining  preferment,  if  they  are  submissive,  and  the  fear 
of  being  placed  in  an  obscure  position  if  they  do  not  carry 


434  LIFE  OF  JOHN   W.  RKDFIKLD. 

out  the  will  of  their  superiors.  They  are  elected  by  the 
ministers,  and  are  responsible  alone  to  the  men  who  are  thus 
completely  dependent  upon  them  for  their  position  in  the 
church.  The  General  Conference,  possessing  all  the  power 
to  make  laws  for  the  churches,  is  composed  exclusively  of 
ministers,  elected  by  ministers.  The  annual  conference, 
which  says  who  shall  preach  and  who  shall  not,  is  made  up 
of  ministers.  The  book  agents,  wielding  a  mighty  pecuniary 
influence,  are  ministers.  The  official  editors,  controlling  the 
public  sentiment  of  the  church,  are  ministers.  The  same 
principle  is  carried  out  in  the  administration  upon  our  circuits 
and  stations.  The  preacher  sent  on — it  may  be  in  opposition 
to  the  wishes  of  a  large  majority  of  the  members — appoints 
all  the  leaders,  nominates  the  stewards,  and  licenses  the 
exhorters.  If  he  wishes  to  .expel  a  member,  he  selects  the 
committee,  and  presides  over  the  trial  as  judge.  He  goes 
out  with  them,  and  sees  that  they  make  up  their  verdict  as 
he  desires. 

"The  only  check  to  this  immense  clerical  power — without 
a  parallel,  unless  it  is  in  the  Church  of  Rome — consists  in  the 
right  of  the  laity  to  refuse  to  support  those  ministers  who 
abuse  their  trust,  and  show  themselves  unworthy  of  confi- 
dence. This  only  remedy  in  our  power  against  clerical 
oppression  we  have  felt  bound  to  apply. 

"The  course  of  those  members  of  the  Genesee  Confer- 
ence, known  as  the  'Regency  party,'  in  screening  one  another 
when  lying  under  the  imputation  of  gross  and  flagrant  im- 
moralities; and  in  expelling  from  the  conference  and  the 
church  devoted  ministers  of  the  gospel,  whose  only  crime 
consisted  in  the  ability  and  success  with  which  they  taught 
and  enforced  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  and  the  fidelity  with 
which  they  labored  to  secure  the  exclusion  of  slave  holders 
from  the  church — this  course,  so  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel,  as  honest  men  going  to  judgment,  we  felt  called  upon 
to  discountenance.  We  dare  not  give  these  ministers  God- 


RESOLUTIONS  BY  LAYMEN'S  CONVENTION.         435 

speed  in  their  bloody  work,  lest  we  be  partakers  in  their  evil 
deeds.  We  accordingly  voted,  in  our  conventions,  that  we 
could  not  sustain  these  preachers  who  were  putting  down  the 
work  of  God. 

"These  efforts  of  ours  to  correct  great  evils  have  been  met 
by  persecutions  worthy  of  the  priests  of  Rome  in  her  darkest 
days.  Men  of  approved  piety,  of  long  standing,  whose 
prayers  and  efforts  and  money  have  been  freely  given  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  church,  have  been  expelled  from 
the  communion  of  their  choice  for  having  dared  to  act  ac- 
cording to  their  convictions.  Therefore, 

"Resolved,  i.  That  we  heartily  endorse  the  sentiments  con- 
tained in  the  preambles  and  resolutions  passed  at  the  Albion 
conventions  (December,  1858  and  November,  1859).  The 
position  then  taken  we  this  day  unhesitatingly  affirm,  in  our 
estimation,  to  be  right.  Convinced  more  than  ever,  that  we 
need  to  act  as  one  body  in  this  matter,  we  hereby  pledge 
ourselves  unflinchingly  and  uncompromisingly  to  stand  by 
the  principles  then  laid  down ;  and  to  sustain  by  our  sympathy 
and  our  aid  our  brethren  in  the  ministry  who  have  been  the 
subjects  of  a  heartless  and  wicked  proscription. 

"Resolved,  2.  That  we  heartily  condemn  the  practice 
pursued  by  many  of  the  Regency  preachers,  in  reading  out 
members  as  withdrawn  from  the  church  without  even  the 
form  of  a  trial,  or  without  laboring  with  them.  We  deem 
it  an  act  of  outrage  upon  our  rights  as  members  of  the  church, 
contrary  to  the  Discipline,  and  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.  We  truly  extend  to  our  brethren  and  sis- 
ters who  have  thus  been  illegally  read  out  from  our  beloved 
Zion,  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  We  rejoice  that  the 
Lamb's  Book  of  Life  is  beyond  the  reach  of  human  hands. 
And  while  they  continue  faithful  followers  of  Jesus,  whether 
in  or  out  of  the  church,  we  hail  them  as  members  of  the 
body  of  Christ." 


LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  K  i  m -n-.i.n. 

The  report  of  the  committee,  after  remarks  made  by  sev- 
eral persons,  all  on  the  affirmative,  was  unanimously  adopted. 
The  following  resolution,  concerning  the  adherence  to  the 
M.  E.  Church,  was  also  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  we  reiterate  our  unfaltering  attachment 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church ;  while  we  protest  Against 
and  repudiate  its  abuses  and  iniquitous  administration,  by 
which  we  have  heen  aggrieved  and  the  church  scandalized. 
Our  controversy  is  in  favor  of  the  doctrines  and  discipline  of 
the  church,  and  against  temporary  mal-administration.  And 
we  exhort  our  brethren  everywhere  not  to  secede,  or  with- 
draw from  the  church,  or  be  persuaded  into  any  other  eccle- 
siastical organization;  but  to  form  themselves  into  bands, 
after  the  example  of  early  Methodism,  and  remain  in  the 
church  until  expelled." 

On  this  resolution  the  following  remarks  were  made: 

Rev.  J.  M'Creery  said: — "Four  years  ago  when  we  com- 
menced this  war,  we  sought  to  bring  back  Methodism  to  its 
pristine  purity,  and  throw  out  these  innovations  which  had 
crept  in.  We  can  spare  all  the  preachers  if  the  Lord  and 
the  people  will  be  with  us.  We  intend  to  stick  to  the  church. 
We  are  where  we  stood  years  ago,  and  intend  to  stay  there. 
We  must  stand  on  the  Discipline,  which  is  the  constitution 
of  the  church.  We  are  not  secessionists,  and  they  cannot 
drive  us  out,  unless  they  expel  us.  We  purpose  to  stay  in 
the  church.  I  am  in  favor  of  that  resolution." 

T.  B.  Catton  said: — "We  can  organize  bands  and  still  be 
in  the  church,  as  it  is  in  the  Discipline.  I  am  opposed  to 
secession  always.  We  have  organized  bands  fn  Wyoming, 
and  have  met  with  good  success,  for  the  Lord  has  been 
with  us." 

William  Hart  contended  that  the  constitution  of  the 
church  discountenanced  slavery.  He  argued  that  the  Disci- 
pline granted  every  member  a  fair  trial.  But  all  those  who  had 
been  expelled  had  been  denied  that  privilege.  We  have  no 


REMARKS  ON  RESOLUTIONS.  437 

need  to  secede,  but  to  keep  right  on  for  God,  and  not  he  per- 
suaded  into  any  other  ecclesiastical  organization.  Four  were 
read  out  in  my  section  on  mere  suspicion.  He  was  in  favor 
of  the  resolution. 

B.  T.  Roberts  contended  that  bands  were  no  new  things, 
but  were  being  organized  all  over  the  country,  and  in 
Europe,  for  the  salvation  of  souls;  and  said  that  Orville 
Gardner  was  the  leader  of  one  in  New  York.  He  hoped 
these  bands  would  be  organized  everywhere.  If  the  minis- 
ters will  help,  all  right;  if  not,  go  right  on  without  them. 

S.  K.  J.  Chesbro  said,  that  the  bands  in  his  place  had 
been  prosperous,  and  many  had  been  converted.  He  gave  a 
history  of  their  organization,  which  started  with  only  ten 
members,  but  now  it  had  thirty.  He  was  strongly  in  favor 
of  bands,  and  urged  the  brethren  to  do  likewise. 

J.  M'Creery  did  not  want  to  follow  the  plan  of  Orville 
Gardner's  band,  but  the  plan  contained  in  the  Methodist  Dis- 
cipline. The  resolution  defines  itself.  The  members  of  the 
band  in  this  section  had  not  yet  been  turned  out,  and  the 
authorities  will  not  dare  to  do  it. 

J.  W.  Reddy  said,  that  the  Regency  preachers  held  the 
opinion  that  these  bands  were  unconstitutional;  but  he  de- 
nied it,  and  argued  that  we  have  as  good  a  right  to  do  so  as 
they  have  to  join  the  Odd-Fellows  or  Masons.  He  believed 
in  standing  by  the  church,  but  contended  for  the  right  of 
religious  liberty.  He  hoped  the  brethren  would  go  to  work 
with  energy  and  organize  these  bands. 

These  are  characteristic  remarks,  and  show  the  temper  of 
the  convention.  The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted. 

Several  other  resolutions,  were  adopted,  committees,  etc., 
were  appointed,  and  the  convention  adjourned  sine  die. 

Mr.  Redfield  was  watching   these  proceedings  from  St. 
Louis  with  deep  interest.     His   letters  and    his    labors  in  the 
West,  including  the  proscription  used  by  the  church  authori- 
ties there,  show  that  the  work  East  and  West  was  one. 
30 


438  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  RKDKIKLD. 

The  following  letter  will  show  another  phase  that  was 
beginning  to  be  manifested,  and  was  destined  to  become  a 
prominent  feature  of  evangelistic  work.  It  will  also  show 
a  philosophical  vein  in  his  thinking  upon  a  subject  that  gets 
but  little  attention. 

"ST.  Louis,  Feb.  i,  1860. 

"My  very  dear  Sister  Roberts: — Your  very  interesting 
letter  came  to  hand  last  night.  I  most  deeply  sympathize 
with  you  in  your  trying  circumstances,  and  feel  refreshed  by 
the  recital  of  your  daring  to  obey  God  when  I  am  so  full  of 
haltings  in  view  of  public  opinion.  I  have  long  seen  that  our 
church  must  come  to  the  exact  state  we  now  occupy,  and 
that  some  one  must  take  the  stand  and  meet  the  conflict.  I 
have  shrunk  and  run  from  all  responsibility  I  could,  and  yet 
preserve  anyfhing  like  peace  with  God.  But  I  see  God  has 
thrust  you  out  into  the  front  rank,  and  I  feel  deeply  ashamed 
that  I  have  been  so  tardy  in  my  labors  for  the  cause  of  Jesus. 
Could  I  see  you  I  could  open  my  mind  freely,  and  tell  you 
my  views  relating  to  the  matters  of  which  you  inquire. 

"I  will  say,  however,  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  that 
God  is  about  to  perform  a  work  in  this  land  which  is  to  tell 
in  the  salvation  of  myriads,  and  to  stimulate  sister  churches 
to  a  higher  tone  of  religion.  And  I  am  equally  sure  that 
God  will  open  this  era  by  means  and  instrumentalities  quite 
out  of  the  old  stereotyped  forms.  Among  these  instrumen- 
talities I  believe  woman  is  to  take  a  very  prominent  part. 
But  aside  from  all  theorizing,  I  shall  ask  but  two  questions: 
(  i  )  Does  God  bless  them  ?  (  2  )  Are  souls  converted  and  sancti- 
fied under  their  labors?  If  these  questions  are  answered  in 
the  affirmative,  no  man  can  say  nay. 

"As  to  the  polish  of  rhetoric  and  philosophy  to  embellish 
the  cross  of  Jesus,  we  have  enough  of  it.  As  to  great  learn- 
ing, to  give  the  pedigree  of  Christianity  and  to  illumine  the 
dark  sayings  of  the  fathers  in  theology,  we  have  it  in  abund- 
ance. But  the  world  is  not  saved.  Science,  metaphysics, 


LETTER  TO  Mus.  B.  T.  ROBERTS.  439 

eloquence,  and  divinity  have  marched  in  solemn  grandeur 
over  Christendom,  and  yet  the  world  is  not  saved.  What 
we  want,  what  we  must  have,  is  a  type  of  religion  that  will 
bring  God  hack  to  the  world;  that  is,  God  in  the  moral  phase 
of  his  character.  And  how  can  this  be  done  except  through 
the  emotions  of  mankind?  Men  are  bound  too  much  by 
conventional  rules,  and  strive  to  recommend  the  moral  nature 
of  God  by  his  mental  qualities  or  physical  powers.  We 
need  to  have  manifested  the  love,  justice,  and  purity  of  God, 
and  this  in  the  out-gushings  of  a  heart  that  dares  to  be  moved 
as  God  moves  it.  Man  fears  to  betray  such  'weakness.' 
Women  are  more  willing  to  let  God  bless  them,  and  this 
seems  to  be  their  calling. 

"Had  any  one  told  me  six  months  before  I  came  to  St. 
Louis  that  ministers  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
(North)  would  abet  the  vile  system  of  slavery,  and  not  only 
that,  but  oppose  the  doctrines  of  Methodism,  I  should  have 
regarded  it  as  a  slander.  But  I  am  compelled  to  own  the 
humiliating  fact,  and  that  if  some  one  is  not  raised  up  to  re- 
establish the  broken  foundations  of  Methodism,  she  has  run 
her  race,  and  must  soon  be  reckoned  among  the  things  that 
were.  But  whoever  undertakes  the  task  must  take  the 
consequences  of  his  effort. 

#########*# 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

THE  venerable  Elias  Bowen,  D.  D.,  in  his  history  of  the 
Origin  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  says: 

"The  General  Conference — upon  which  so  many  anxious 
eyes  were  turned,  on  account  of  the  Genesee  difficulties,  in 
the  hope  that  all  there  would  be  made  right — commenced  its 
session  May  1st,  1860,  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  and  continued 
its  deliberations  during  the  entire  month.  It  was  soon  ap- 
parent, however,  that  the  spirit  of  early  Methodism  had 
departed  from  that  venerable  body,  and  another  spirit  than 
that  of  the  fathers — the  spirit  of  a  worldly,  ambitious,  tem- 
porizing policy — ruled  the  hour.  The  delegates  belonging 
to  secret  societies,  and  those  of  a  pro-slavery  type,  making 
common  cause  of  it,  refused  by  a  majority  vote  which  they 
contrived  to  command,  to  entertain  Mr.  Roberts'  appeal, 
though  in  barefaced  opposition  to  one  of  our  strictest  rules; 
and,  of  course,  this  ambassador  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in 
accordance  with  the  action  of  the  Genesee  Conference  in  his 
case,  stood  expelled  from  the  church." 

Rev.  William  Hosmer,  editor  of  the  Northern  Independ- 
ent, in  that  paper,  said: 

'Methodism  has  taught  us  to  live  in  the  presence  of  God, 
and  to  shape  all  our  acts  under  the  inspection  of  his  eye. 
Whatsoever  cannot  abide  this  test,  must  be  discarded  and 
abhorred,  because  it  will  surely  be  condemned  in  'the  eternal 
judgment'  to  which  we  are  hastening.  That  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  constituted  by  the  last  General  Conference,  did  not 
do  its  work  so  as  to  secure  either  divine  or  human  respect,  is 
a  conclusion  forced  upon  us  from  every  view  we  have  been 
able  to  take  of  the  subject.  Gladly  would  we  pass  by  these 
judicial  proceedings  without  further  notice  if  it  were  allow- 
able. But  they  are  of  too  serious  a  character,  and  will  be 
found  too  far-reaching  in  their  consequences,  to  admit  of 

(440) 


REVIEW  BY  WM.  HOSMER. 


44 i 


silent  acquiescence.  Ecclesiastical  courts  are  not  famous  for 
liberality  and  justice;  but  we  believe  the  courts  of  Methodism 
have  not  generally  sunk  to  the  level  indicated  by  the  trial  of 
these  appeals. 

"First  in  order  was  the  case  of  Rev.  C.  D.  Burlingham. 
He  was  expelled  from  the  Genesee  Conference  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  doing  three  things: 

"I st.     Admitting  B.  T.  Roberts  into  the  church  on  trial. 

"2nd.     Licensing  him  to  exhort. 

"3rd.  Officiating  with  expelled  preachers  at  a  general 
quarterly  meeting  held  in  a  Wesleyan  church,  at  the  same 
time  that  his  presiding  elder  was  holding  a  regular  quarterly 
meeting  in  the  same  charge,  about  three  miles  distant. 

"Mr.  Burlingham  admitted  the  facts,  but  pleaded  in 
justification: 

"ist.  That  he  received  B.  T.  Roberts,  and  licensed  him 
to  exhort,  on  the  unanimous  recommendation  of  the  society 
meeting  of  the  church  with  which  Mr.  Roberts  had  last 
labored.  In  this  action  he  believed  he  was  covered  by  Bishop 
Baker,  who  says,  in  his  work  on  the  Discipline,  page  159, 
'If,  however,  the  society  become  convinced  of  the  innocence 
of  the  expelled  member,  he  may  again  be  received  on  trial, 
without  confession.' 

"2nd.  That  when  engaged  to  attend  the  general  quarter- 
ly meeting,  he  supposed  that  Mr.  Roberts  had  a  right  as  an 
exhorter  to  hold  meetings. 

"3rd.  That  he  did  not  know  that  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  had  a  society,  or  an  appointment,  in  the  place 
where  the  general  quarterly  meeting  was  held.  He  supposed 
the  ground  was  occupied  exclusively  by  the  Wesleyans. 

"These  were  the  only  offenses  with  which  Mr.  Burling- 
ham was  charged. 

"After  his  expulsion  he  waited  patiently  for  the  General 
Conference.  He  did  not  preach,  nor  lecture,  nor  exhort — 
did  not  attend  meetings  held  by  expelled  preachers — but  did 


442  LIKE  OK  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

penance  up  to  the  session  of  the  General  Conference.  He 
should  have  been  restored  on  the  ground  of  having  expiated 
his  guilt,  if  he  was  guilty  of  any  ordinary  offense,  if  on  no 
other.  When  his  appeal  came  up,  Mr.  Fuller,*  who  had 
been  chief  prosecutor  in  all  those  trials,  challenged  several  of 
the  committee  who  had  manifested  a  desire  to  have  Genesee 
Conference  matters  fairly  investigated.  Though  the  Gen- 
eral Conference,  in  constituting  the  committee,  or  Court  of 
Appeals,  had  given  to  parties  the  right  to  challenge  for  cause^ 
yet  Mr.  Fuller,  after  the  first  instance,  was  not  required  to 
give  cause,  but  challenged  as  many  as  he  chose,  and  they 
were  set  aside.  He  simply  said  of  the  challenged,  'he  con- 
sidered them  prejudiced.'  . 

"Mr.  Olin,  of  the  Oneida  Conference,  managed  the  case 
for  Mr.  Burlingham  with  consummate  tact  and  great  ability. 
His  plea  was  a  masterly  effort,  and  carried  conviction  to  the 
minds,  we  believe,  of  all  who  heard  it,  except  the  committee. 
They  sent  the  case  back  to  the  conference  for  a  new  trial. 
This  we  regard  as  a  remarkable  decision.  Neither  party 
asked  for  it.  We  never  heard  before  of  a  case  being  remand- 
ed for  a  new  trial,  unless  there  was  some  alleged  informality 
in  the  court  below,  or  defect  in  the  record,  or  unless  one  or 
the  other  of  the  parties  claimed  to  have  new  testimony  which 
could  not  be  introduced  into  the  first  trial.  But  nothing  of 
the  kind  was  intimated  in  this  case.  There  can  be  no  new 
testimony,  for  Mr.  Burlingham  admitted  all  the  facts  with 
which  he  was  charged. 

"Do  these  facts,  mentioned  above,  constitute  a  crime,  for 
which  an  able  minister,  of  spotless  reputation,  who  has 
served  the  church  for  over  twenty  years,  devoting  the  vigor 
of  his  manhood's  prime  in  self-sacrificing  efforts  to  promote 
her  interests,  should  be  expelled?  Then  let  the  General 
Conference  say  so,  that  all  who  henceforth  enter  the  Meth- 
odist ministry  may  understand  that  they  are  expected  to  lay 

*l'he  same  man  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  (he  revival  in  Albion  — T. 


REVIEW  BY  WM.  HOSMER. 


443 


their  manhood  in  the  dust,  part  with  the  right  of  private 
judgment,  and  yield  a  servile,  unquestioning  obedience  to  all 
behests  of  their  ecclesiastical  superiors. 

"Was  Mr.  Burlingham,  through  party  malignity,  treated 
unjustly?  Was  he  wrongfully  deposed  from  the  ministry, 
and  excluded  from  the  church?  Then  the  General  Confer- 
ence should  have  restored  him.  This  was  due  to  him;  it  was 
due  to  outraged  justice;  it  was  due  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  whose  Discipline — confessedly  more  susceptible 
of  abuse  than  any  other  church  in  this  country — has  been 
used  for  the  purpose  of  inflicting  ecclesiastical  oppression 
without  a  parallel  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

"But  the  General  Conference,  through  its  committee,  or 
Court  of  Appeals,  after  gravely  listening  to  the  testimony 
and  pleadings,  sent  the  case  back  for  a  new  trial,  without  a 
motion  to  that  effect  from  either  party.  What,  we  ask,  is 
there  to  try  ?  There  can  be  no  issue  on  the  facts — these  are 
admitted. 

"But  Mr.  Burlingham  contends  that  these  facts  do  not 
constitute  a  crime  for  which  he  should  be  deposed  from  the 
church. 

"The  Genesee  Conference  has  said  they  do.  Here  is  the 
issue — who  shall  decide?  The  Discipline  vests  the  power  in 
the  General  Conference — the  body  to  try  appeals.  The 
case  was  properly  brought  before  them ;  they  have  sent  it 
back  for  the  Genesee  Conference  to  decide  over  again. 
What  an  absurd  decision!  What  an  insult  to  Mr.  Burling- 
ham, and  to  common  sense!  Suppose  the  views  of  law  and 
justice  entertained  by  the  Genesee  Conference  remain  un- 
changed, and  the  same  sentence  be  again  pronounced  against 
Mr.  Burlingham,  and  he  again  appeals.  After  waiting  four 
years  for  another  General  Conference,  if  he  still  survive, 
there  will  not  only  be  the  same  reason  for  sending  the  case 
back  for  a  new  trial  as  now,  but  the  additional  one  of  prec- 
edent. Thus,  this  mockery  of  justice  may  continue  ad 
iiifinitum. 


444  LIFE  OK  JOHN  VV.  REDKIELD. 

"This  looks  more  like  the  tiger  playing  with  the  victim 
he  intends  to  devour,  than  like  a  body  of  Christian  ministers 
bound  by  every  consideration  that  can  influence  to  right 
action,  to  judge  righteous  judgment. 

"Another  fact  is  worthy  of  especial  notice.  Though  the 
decision  in  the  case  was  not  asked  for  in  court  by  either 
party,  yet  it  is  precisely  what  partisans  of  the  Regency  party 
of  the  Genesee  Conference  have  been  endeavoring  for 
months  to  persuade  Mr.  Burlingham  to  consent  to.  These 
efforts  were  continued  up  to  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which 
the  appeal  was  heard.  Yet  neither  in  their  pleadings,  nor 
at  any  time  while  the  appeal  was  being  heard,  did  the  coun- 
sel for  the  conference  signify  their  wish  that  the  case  might 
be  remanded  for  a  new  trial.  At  whose  suggestion  was  it 
done?  When  was  the  suggestion  made?  Was  there  any 
collusion  in  the  matter?  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  answer 
these  questions.  View  it  in  whatever  light  you  may,  the 
whole  case  has  a  dark  and  suspicious  aspect. 

"Perhaps  some  clue  to  an  explanation  of  the  strange  pro- 
ceedings in  relation  to  the  Genesee  Conference  appeal  cases 
may  be  found  in  the  action  had  upon  the  slavery  question. 

"The  Genesee  Conference  has  heretofore  been  one  of  the 
strongest  anti-slavery  conferences  in  the  connection.  The 
proscribed  party  have  been  from  the  first  uncompromising  in 
their  hostility  to  slavery  in  the  church  and  in  the  state. 

"The  Genesee  delegates  were  once  regarded  as  anti- 
slavery;  what  they  are  now  their  votes  will  show.  We 
asserted  last  fall  that  the  conference  had  become  pro-slavery, 
and  gave  as  proof  the  fact  that  while  it  condemned  this 
paper,  it  refused  to  take  any  action  against  slavery.  The 
truth  of  our  inference  was  denied  by  some;  but  the  recent 
course  of  their  delegates  has  made  our  words  good.  When 
the  important  question  was  decided  in  the  General  Confer- 
ence upon  a  change  of  the  constitution,  so  as  to  prohibit 
slave-holding  in  the  church,  the  delegates  of  the  Genesee 


EXCITING  SCENES  IN  THE  WEST.  445 

Conference  voted  against  a  change,  and  their  vote  turned  the 
scale.  And  when  the  Genesee  Conference  matters  came  up, 
the  border  pro  slavery  delegates  voted  solid  with  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  majority  of  the  Genesee  Conference.  This 
may  be  all  fair.  It  may  be  that  men  who,  four  years  ago, 
took  the  stump  to  keep  slavery  out  of  the  territories,  have 
suddenly  become  convinced  that  it  should  be  nestled  and 
fostered  in  the  bosom  of  the  church!  We  should  like  to 
know  by  what  arguments  they  were  converted,  and  when  it 
was  done!  Was  this  a  part  of  a  scheme  to  keep  slave-holders 
in  the  church?  Did  the  border  delegates  understand  that  if 
they  voted  as  desired  by  the  Genesee  delegates,  they  would 
reciprocate  the  favor  and  assist  them  in  their  extremity?  Or 
did  this  strange  coincidence  come  about  by  chance?  '* 

There  were  exciting  scenes  in  the  West  about  this  time. 
In  March,  of  this  same  year,  after  a  three-months'  continuous 
meeting  in  St.  Charles,  the  writer  went  to  visit  those  converted 
the  fall  before.  On  arriving  at  the  place  he  learned  that  the 
church  trustees,  by  a  majority  vote,  had  adopted  a  resolution 
that  neither  Mr.  Redfield  nor  himself  should  preach  in  the 
church  again.  Some  of  these  men  were  also  school  trustees. 

o 

and  they  had  adopted  a  similar  resolution  as  to  preaching  in 
the  school- house. 

But  few  knew  of  this  action  of  the  trustees  until  we  met 
in  church  the  next  morning.  A  large  number  of  the 
young  converts  came  together  in  the  afternoon,  at  a  private 
house,  for  prayer  and  testimony. 

While  we  were  singing  the  hymn. 

"Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul," 

the  power  of  God  came  upon  us  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
But  so  great  and  so  intense  was  the  opposition  here  where 
we  had  formerly  experienced  such  a  signal  victory  that  our 

*As  a  resu't  the  church  was  pat  t<>  the  sorry  extremity  of  changing  the  Dis- 
cipline on  slavery  in  1864,  when  there  was  not  a  slave  left  in  the  country.— T, 


446  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

enemies  went  from  this  meeting  and  reported  that  Mr.  T — 
had  the  young  converts  get  on    their  knees    and   swear  that 
they  would  follow  Mr.    Redfield  and  himself. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  the  writer  was  asked  when 
he  would  preach  to  them ;  and  it  was  then  that  it  became 
known  that  the  trustees  both  of  the  church  and  school-house 
had  taken  the  action  already  referred  to.  J.  W.  Dake,  now 
a  Free  Methodist  pryicher  in  Iowa  ( 1888),  and  who  was 
present,  said,  "I  know  of  a  school-house  where  he  can 
preach";  and  agreement  was  made  to  have  service  in  the 
one  alluded  to  about  two  miles  distant  on  Monday  evening. 
This  was  announced  at  the  church  that  evening  in  a  private 
way.  The  next  evening  a  large  congregation  gathered,  and 
the  power  of  the  Lord  was  present  to  heal.  Indications  of 
a  revival  were  so  strong  that  we  could  not  hold  back  from 
announcing  a  service  for  the  next  night.  This  was  the  occa- 
sion of  the  setting  in  of  a  severe  persecution.  Young  people 
were  forbidden  to  attend  the  meetings.  Falsehood  and 
slander  began  to  do  their  best.  The  timid  were  frightened 
from  their  steadfastness,  and  the  brave  rapidly  developed  as 
soldiers  for  Jesus. 

The  second  Sunday  morning,  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
instead  of  the  usual  Scripture  lesson,  read  a  long  original 
paper,  in  which  he  accused  the  writer  of  being  in  league 
with  Mr.  Redfield  to  divide  the  church;  and  concluded  with 
the  proposition  that,  if  he  would  confess  the  wrong,  and 
promise  to  do  so  no  more,  they  (the  church  at  Mt.  Pleasant) 
would  take  him  to  their  hearts  and  to  the  church.  Three 
weeks  later  he  handed  in  his  church  letter,  and  was  imme- 
diately given  a  regular  appointment  to  preach  in  that  church. 

The  meeting  in  the  Union  school-house,  as  it  was  called, 
lasted  but  a  fortnight,  but  quite  a  number  were  converted, 
some  of  whom  became  noted  for  piety  and  triumphant 
death. 

At  the  close  of  this  meeting   the  writer  visited  Marengo, 


THE  BISHOP  FAMILY  CITED  TO  TRIAL.          447 

in  McHenry  county,  the  scene  of  one  of  Mr.  Reclfield's 
greatest  victories.  Here  it  was  learned  that  the  Bishop 
family,  in  whose  country  home  the  noted  Monday-night 
holiness  meeting  had  been  held  so  long,  were  now  cited  to 
trial  on  a  charge  of  disobedience  to  the  order  and  Discipline 
of  the  church.  The  first  specification  was,  non-attendance 
of  public  worship  in  the  church  where  they  belonged.  The 
second  was,  non-attendance  of  class. 

The  facts  were  they  had  spent  the  most  of  the  winter  in 
a  revival  in  a  country  school-house,  six  miles  from  home—at 
great  inconvenience  to  themselves — where  more  than  forty 
persons  had  been  converted.  What  had  made  it  more  easy 
for  them  to  do  this  was  the  fact  that  they  could  neither  attend 
preaching  or  class  meeting  without  being  made  a  target  for 
sharp  speeches,  both  by  the  pastor  and  the  members  of 
the  church.  It  was  also  a  fact  that  there  were  members  of 
the  church  who  not  only  did  not  attend  worship,  but  they 
did  not  profess  to  be  Christians  at  all.  And  more,  there 
were  more  than  one-half  of  the  membership  who  never  at- 
tended class.  It  was  evident  from  these  facts  that  the  trial 
was  persecution,  and  not  a  sincere  attempt  to  bring  the  church 
to  discipline.  The  family  of  five — father,  mother,  two  sons, 
and  a  daughter — were  all  expelled.  In  his  hot  haste  the  pas- 
tot  had  forgotten  that  he  had  given  a  letter  to  the  oldest  son 
who  was  a  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  student. 

A  large  company  had  gathered,  as  witnesses  for  the 
accused,  many  of  them  the  fruits  of  the  revival  described, 
while  some,  like  the  writer,  had  come  from  sympathy.  The 
minister  at  first  ordered  us  all  out  of  the  church,  but  as  it 
was  a  severe  March  day,  this  was  impracticable,  and  while 
we  were  deliberating  what  to  do,  he  adjourned  the  trial  to 
his  dwelling,  and  left  us  in  peaceable  possession  of  the  church. 
An  impromptu  love-feast  was  inaugurated,  and  for  several 
hours  the  time  was  fully  occupied.  During  this  time  there  was 
but  one  allusion  to  the  trouble;  save  that,  it  was  forgotten  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  hour. 


448  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

Sunday  the  writer  visited  the  young  con  verts  at  the  Brick 
school-house,  where  the  Bishop  family  had  spent  their  win- 
ter, and  found  them  giants  in  experience.  Many  of  them 
were  heads  of  families. 

Monday  evening  there  was  a  great  gathering  at  Father 
Bishop's  for  the  holiness  meeting.  Father  Coleman  was 
present,  and  led  the  meeting.  His  was  the  only  allusion  to 
the  trouble.  He  said,  "Don't  pound  your  troubles;  if  you 
do,  they'll  pound  you,  and  you  will  get  the  worst  of  it.  If 
they  turn  me  out  of  the  fold,  I'll  go  bleating  around  until 
they  take  me  back  in  again." 

The  General  Conference  came  and  went,  but  there  was 
no  redress  of  the  grievances  complained  of.  Mr.  Roberts' 
case  was  left  as  the  Genesee  Conference  left  it.  Nearly 
every  law-point,  under  which  these  wrongs  had  been  perpe- 
trated, was  decided  against  the  presiding  bishops. 

The  conference  declared  that  the  interpretations  of  law 
by  a  bishop  in  the  interim  of  conference  did  not  have  the 
force  of  law;  that  is,  they  were  authoritative  only  when  the 
bishop  was  presiding  in  a  judicial  capacity.  This  was  aimed 
at  Bishop  Simpson's  interpretation  of  the  law,  that  with  the 
consent  of  the  official  board  a  preacher  might  declare  a 
member  withdrawn  who  did  not  attend  the  service  of  his 
own  church.  On  this  opinion,  many  had  been  excluded 
from  the  church  in  that  summary  way.  But  though  it  is, 
and  was,  a  maxim  of  Methodism,  that  a  member  shall  not 
suffer  from  the  maladministration  of  a  preacher  in  charge, 
there  was  not  a  single  instance,  so  far  as  is  known,  where 
there  was  an  attempt  to  re-instate  a  member  who  had  thus 
been  excluded. 

In  view  of  taking  such  action  as  might  be  necessary  after 
the  General  Conference,  a  Laymen's  Convention  had  been 
called  to  meet  July  i,  1860,  in  connection  with  a  camp  meet- 
ing to  be  held  on  the  grounds  of  J.  M.  Laughlin,  near  St. 
Charles,  Illinois.  A  similar  convention  had  been  called  in 
Western  New  York.  The  object  of  both  was  the  same. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  LAYMEN'S  CONVENTION.    449 

Mr.  Redfield  had  charge  of  the  religious  services  at  St. 
Charles,  assisted  by  Revs.  B.  T.  Roberts,  Seymour  Cole- 
man,  G.  H.  Fox,  and  E.  P.  Hart,  besides  a  large  number  of 
local  preachers  from  various  parts  of  the  Northwest.  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  Southern  Iowa,  and  Wisconsin,  and  Marengo, 
Woodstock,  Queen  Anne,  Garden  Prairie,  Brick  School- 
house,  Elgin,  Coral,  Clintonville,  Geneva,  Aurora,  Wheaton, 
and  Mt.  Pleasant,  within  the  state  of  Illinois,  were  repre- 
sented by  laymen.  The  camp  meeting  was  one  of  great 
power.  God  was  there,  and  many  were  saved. 

The  following    are   the  minutes  of    the  Laymen's    Con- 
vention : 

"After  devotional  exercises,  B.  T.  Roberts  was  chosen 
president,  and  C.  E.  McCollister,  secretary. 

"Members  of  the  convention : 

"St.  Louis: — Richard  Thornton,  local  elder;  Daniel 
Lloyd,  Ad.  C.  Coughlin,  Charles  R.  Townsend  (local 
preacher),  J.  W.  Redfield  (local  preacher),  C.  E.  McCollis- 
ter, L.  E.  Benedict. 

"St.  Charles: —  Elisha  Foote,  Warren  Tyler,  John 
Laughlin. 

"Clintonville: — Joseph  Corron,  Benjamin  Peaslee,  C.  E. 
Harroun  (local  preacher). 

"Coral:— J.  M.  White. 

"Union: — Joseph  Deitz,  L.  H.  Bishop,  Wm.  D.  Bishop 
(local  preacher),  I.  H.  Fairchild  (local  deacon). 

"Woodstock: — S.  Wilson,  Warren  Stanard,  William 
Wright,  M.  Best. 

"Queen  Anne: — G.  N.  Fairchild. 

"Mt.  Pleasant: — Melville  Beach,  J.  W.  Dake,  U.  C. 
Rowe,  J.  G.  Terrill  (local  preacher). 

"  A  camp  meeting  was  ordered  to  be  held  at  Coral, 
McHenry  county,  111.,  commencing  September  5,  and  hold- 
ing one  week. 

"It  was  also  ordered  to  hold  another  on  the  same  grounds 
about  the  same  time  next  year. 


450  LIFE  OK  JOHN   W.  K  i  DI  n  i.i>. 

"President  Roberts  wrote  and  presented  the  following 
resolution,  which  was  unanimously  adopted: 

*  'Resolved,  That  our  attachment  to  the  doctrines,  usages, 
spirit,  and  discipline  of  Methodism,  is  hearty  and  sincere.  It 
is  with  the  most  profound  grief  that  we  have  witnessed  the 
departure  of  many  of  the  ministers  from  the  God-honored 
usages  of  Methodism.  We  feel  bound  to  adhere  to  them, 
and  to  labor  all  we  can,  and  to  the  best  possible  advantage, 
to  promote  the  life  and  power  of  godliness.  We  recommend 
that  those  in  sympathy  with  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  as 
taught  by  Wesley,  should  labor  in  harmony  with  the  respec- 
tive churches  to  which  they  belong.  But  when  this  cannot 
be  done,  without  continual  strife  and  contention,  we  recom- 
mend the  formation  of  Free  Methodist  churches,  as  contem- 
plated by  the  convention  held  in  the  Genesee  Conference,  in 
New  York.' 

UI.  H.  Fairchild  was  recommended  tc  take  work  in  the 
itineracy  of  the  convention. 

"U.  C.  Rowe  was  licensed  to  preach. 

"C.  E.  McCollister  was  appointed  to  missionary  work  in 
Michigan. 

"A  committee  of  five  was  appointed  as  a  standing  station- 
ing committee,  consisting  of  three  ministers  and  two  laymen, 
to  hold  their  position  until  the  next  convention.  I.  H.  Fair- 
child,  C.  E.  Harroun,  J.  W.  Redfield,  E.  Foote,  and  O.  Jos- 
lyn,  were  made  said  committee. 

"J.  W.  Redfield's  character  was  passed,  and  he  was 
appointed  superintendent  of  the  Western  work. 

"President  Roberts  and  J.  W.  Redfield  were  requested  to 
appoint  a  preacher  for  St.  Louis. 

"The  committee  on  stationing  preachers  was  instructed  to 
employ  all  local  preachers  under  their  charge. 

"A  motion  was  passed  to  recognize  the  ordinations  of 
those  ministers  who  have  come  among  us. 


THE  PEKI.V   AND  AURORA  CONVENTIONS.         451 

"A.  B.  Burdick,  a  local  preacher  of  St.  Louis,  was  made 
a  member  of  the  convention. 

"B.  T.  Roberts  was  unanimously  elected  general  super- 
intendent of  the  work. 

"The  stationing  committee  made  the  following  appoint- 
ments : 

"Ogle  Circuit,  J.  G.  Terrill;  St.  Charles,  C.  R.  Townsend; 
Clintonville,  C.  E.  Harroun;  Coral,  I.  H.  Fairchild,  and  W. 
D.  Bishop;  Queen  Anne,  R.  M.  Hooker;  Big  Rock,  D.  F. 
Shephardson;  Elgin,  A.  B.  Burdick;  Iowa  Mission,  P.  C. 
Armstrong;  St.  Louis  Mission,  Ad.  C:  Coughlin,  and  Robt. 
Jamison;  St.  Louis  Circuit,  Joseph  Travis;  Michigan  Mis 
sion,  C.  E.  McCollister." 

The  broken  style  of  these  minutes  indicate  that  these 
men  were  new  to  the  work  of  such  assemblies,  and  that  their 
action  was  unpremeditated.  The  General  Conference  was 
just  over.  In  almost  all  of  these  places  to  which  ministers 
were  appointed  there  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  who  had  either  been  read  out,  or  expelled,  or 
were  suffering  from  some  form  of  proscription.  Some  of 
these  local  preachers  were  still  members  of  that  church. 

In  the  month  of  August  a  general  convention  was  held 
in  Pekin,  N.  Y.,  in  connection  with  a  camp  meeting. 
Isaac  M.  Chesbrough,  of  Pekin,  was  chairman,  and  A.  A. 
Phelps  secretary.  This  was  a  delegated  body,  and  was  com- 
posed of  sixty  members — fifteen  preachers,  and  forty-five 
laymen.  The  deliberations  of  the  convention  resulted  in  (he 
organization  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  and  the  forma- 
tion of  their  Discipline. 

In  September  a  convention  was  held  on  a  campground 
at  Aurora,  Illinois,  by  which  the  new  Discipline  was  adopted. 
The  preachers  who  had  taken  work  in  June  now  went  forth 
to  oro-anize  Free  Methodist  churches  wherever  opportunity 
could  be  found. 

The  writer  has  thought  it  best  to  give  this  history  of  the 


45^  LIFE  OK  Jons  W.  RKDKIKLD. 

rise  and  organization  of  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  first, 
because  Mr.  Redfield  was  so  closely  identified  wit.i  it;  and, 
secondly,  to  vindicate  his  course.  It  seems  clear  that  he  could 
do  no  other  way.  Necessity  was  laid  upon  him,  as  it  was  also 
upon  others  who  were  identified  with  the  movement. 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 

AFTER  the  Pekin  Convention,  Mr.  Redfield  returned  to 
the  West,  and  commenced  his  labors  for  the  winter  with 
great  zeal  and  encouragement.  He  undertook  the  visitation 
of  all  the  points  where  societies  had  already  been  organized, 
and  where  there  was  a  desire  to  organize. 

Rev.  E.  P.  Hart,  about  this  time,  withdrew  from  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  took  work  under  Mr. 
Redfield;  and  an  opening  occurring  in  Belvidere,  Illinois, 
he  went  there  and  labored  with  great  success.  A  society 
had  been  organized  in  Aurora,  Illinois.  Calls  were 
coming  from  every  direction,  and  about  twenty  laborers 
were  already  in  the  field.  Mr.  Redfield  in  his  visits 
reached  Aurora  the  first  of  November.  He  preached  for 
the  new  society  on  Sunday,  met  the  official  board  Monday 
night,  and  while  sitting  in  the  rooms  of  a  friend,  Tuesday 
morning,  was  suddenly  smitten  to  the  floor  with  paralysis. 
He  was  taken  to  the  house  of  Rev.  Judah  Mead,  a  local 
preacher,  where  he  lay  for  weeks  in  terrible  physical  and 
mental  anguish.  The  latter  arose  from  his  inability  to  under- 
stand this  peculiar  providence.  He  knew  he  had  overtaxed 
himself.  He  knew  that  the  severe  mental  strain  through 
which  he  had  gone  during  the  troubles  in  St.  Louis,  and  his 
care  and  anxiety  for  the  new  organization,  had  induced  this. 
But  he  had  been  of  the  opinion  that,  if  one  was  honestly 
seeking  the  divine  glory,  and  doing  his  best  to  advance  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  earth,  that  God  would  not  allow 
him  to  fail.  This  notion  now  afforded  the  ground  for  severe 
mental  conflicts.  Again,  his  physical  pain  was  such,  and  so 
intense  was  every  sense  of  sight,  of  hearing,  of  smelling,  of 
tasting,  and  feeling,  and  so  excruciating  was  the  pain  inflicted 
by  the  simplest  offenses  to  the  organs  of  these  senses,  that  it 

31  <453 


454  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  KIDIII.LD. 

was  almost  unendurable.  Then  temptation  would  assault 
him  in  regard  to  his  conduct  during  these  seasons  of  distress, 
that  he  had  behaved  like  anything  but  a  Christian. 

A  Christian  brother,  who  had  been  converted  under  his 
ministry,  was  impressed  while  praying  at  home,  that  Mr. 
Redfield  was  in  great  trouble,  and  that  he  must  go  to  his 
assistance.  He  immediately  went  to  Aurora,  and  found  him 
in  the  condition  described  above.  From  this  time  for  three 
years  this  brother,  with  all  the  fidelity  and  sympathy  of  a 
son  for  a  father,  nursed,  and  traveled  with,  and  cared  for,  this 
afflicted  man  of  God,  until  he  saw  his  remains  laid  away  in 
the  tomb. 

As  spi  ing  approached,  Mr.  Redfield  was  so  much  better 
that  he  was  removed  from  Aurora,  and  finally  became  able 
to  travel  quite  extensively.  He  visited  the  East,  and  held 
meetings  a  few  weeks  in  Buffalo,  in  the  Free  Methodist 
Church.  From  there  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Sam- 
uel Huntington,  of  Burlington,  Vt.,  which  describes  his 
health,  his  feelings,  and,  to  some  extent,  his  financial  cir- 
cumstances: 

"BUFFALO,  N.  Y.,  April  17,  1861. 

"Dear  Brother  Huntington: — Your  letter, dated  the  I2th, 
was  received  last  evening.  My  health  is  gradually  improv- 
ing. I  can  walk  about  the  house  a  little  by  using  a  cane, 
but  I  still  have  to  be  lifted  in  and  out  of  a  carriage.  We  are 
now  holding  meetings  in  the  Second  Free  Methodist  church, 
in  this  city.  I  have  been  able  to  preach  three  or  four  times  a 
week.  At  the  rate  I  am  improving,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  get 
in  and  out  of  a  carriage  during  the  summer. 

"I  wish  you  could  see  it  in  your  way  to  come  to  our 
camp  meeting  at  St.  Charles,  Illinois,  on  the  I2th  of  June. 
We  shall  probably  have  a  good  representation  at  that  time. 
If  you  have  the  time  to  spare,  you  could  go  by  the  way  of 
the  lakes,  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago,  for  from  six  to  nine  dol- 


LETTER  TO  SAMUEL  HUNTINGTON.  455 

lars.  From  Chicago  to  the  camp  ground,  by  rail,  it  is  only 
about  thirty  miles. 

"I  would  like  to  have  you  get  acquainted  with  our  West- 
ern pilgrims.  A  more  noble,  whole-hearted  and  red-hot  set 
of  pilgrims  you  never  saw.  The  work  of  salvation  in  the 
West  is  spreading  rapidly.  So  large  is  the  demand  that  we 
can  hardly  find  men  enough  to  man  the  walls  of  our  Zion. 

"I  hope  you  will  not  permit  the  true  interests  of  the 
cause  to  suffer  for  want  of  independence  in  yourself,  even  to 
stand  alone  if  need  be.  If  the  conference  does  not  send  you 
the  right  kind  of  a  man,  'go  it  on  your  own  hook,'  and  if  the 
worse  comes,  I  think  we  could  find  a  preacher  among  the 
Free  Methodists  that  would  suit  you. 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say  about  Dr.  W 's  proposal. 

I  fear  I  cannot  make  an  offer  that  will  seem  to  him  perfectly 
right.  I  took  this  view  of  the  matter:  first,  that  I  am  in 
need  of  what  he  owes  me;  second,  I  cannot  think  it  wrong 
for  me  to  ask  him  to  return  to  me  what  he  is  unable  to  pay 
for.  Yet  if  I  felt  able  to  lose  it,  I  would  say  nothing.  But 
in  thinking  the  matter  over,  I  do  not  see  what  he  will  be 
able  to  do  for  a  library  and  medicines  if  I  take  mine  back. 

"If  he  can  pay  ten  dollars  a  month,  and  not  fail,  I  will 
try  and  get  along  with  that.  But  I  would  like  to  have  things 
so  secured  that  no  one  else  can  take  them  away  from  him. 

"If  he  does  not  wish  to  do  this  I  will  take  the  books,  if 
in  as  good  order  as  when  I  let  him  have  them,  at  the  same 
price  I  charged  him ;  and  the  same  with  the  medicine  chest. 

"I  do  not  want  him  to  think  that  I  would  distress  him. 

"Love  to  Dr.  W and  all  good  pilgrims. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

He  returned  to  Illinois,  and  the  last  of  May  came  to  Ogle 
Station,  now  Ashton,  near  Mt.  Pleasant,  to  attend  a  quarter- 
ly meeting  on  my  new  circuit.  This  had  been  organized  in 


456  Ln  i;  OK  JOHN   W.  REDFIELD. 

part  out  of  the  fruits  of  the  great  revival  at  Mt.  Pleasant, 
which  has  already  been  described. 

On  Sunday  morning  he  preached  from  the  text,  «'It  is 
finished."  His  wife  was  obliged  to  sit  by  his  side,  and  prop 
him  up  by  holding  her  hands  under  his  left  elbow,  while  he 
held  on  to  the  pulpit  with  his  right  hand.  During  the  open- 
ing prayer,  he  seemed  to  talk  face  to  face  with  God.  I  was 
impressed  with  the  thought,  we  shall  see  wondrous  things 
to-day.  While  attempting  to  read  the  second  hymn  emo- 
tions overcame  him,  and  he  requested  us  to  sing  without 
further  reading. 

The  outline  of  his  sermon  was  somewhat  as  follows: 

1.  Man's  condition  before  the  fall. 

2.  His  condition  after  the  fall. 

3.  None  among  men  or  angels  who  are  qualified  to  re- 
deem him. 

4.  The  finding  of  "the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world." 

5.  Man  redeemed. 

After  the  first  few  introductory  remarks,  probably  not 
one-half  dozen  of  the  large  congregation  had  a  thought  out- 
side of  the  theme  of  the  sermon.  One  could  read  the  sepa- 
rate divisions  of  the  discourse  upon  the  countenances  of  his 
listeners.  While  portraying  in  the  most  graphic  manner, 
his  conception  of  man's  physical,  mental  and  spiritual  state 
before  the  fall,  every  face  seemed  beaming  with  admiration. 
When  he  introduced  the  Tempter  amid  this  scene  of  loveli- 
ness, consternation  seemed  to  take  the  place;  and  when  at 
last  the  sin  was  finished,  and  all  the  dire  results  were  ushered 
in,  an  expression  of  indignation  spread  over  every  face. 
When  he  portrayed  the  disabilities  of  sin,  and  the  helpless- 
ness of  humanity,  Christians,  for  the  time,  forgot  they  were 
Christians,  and  both  they  and  sinners  simultaneously  wailed 
out  their  anguish,  and  every  face  took  on  a  look  of  fearful 
despair.  When  he  at  last  found  a  ransom  in  the  person  of 


. 

SERMON  FROM  "Ir  is  FINISHED."  457 

the  Son  of  God,  and,  in  a  few  sentences,  made  plain  the 
reasonableness  of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  sinners  forgot 
they  were  sinners  and  joined  in  the  rejoicings  of  the  saints. 
Before  he  was  through  with  his  last  point,  the  benefits  of  re- 
demption, more  than  twenty  persons  were  on  their  feet, 
with  eyes  closed,  clasped  hands,  and  streaming  faces,  gazing 
by  faith  upon  the  wonderful  provisions  of  grace.  For  some 
moments  I  expected  to  see  a  group  of  very  wicked  men  back 
by  the  door  on  their  feet,  uniting  in  this  demonstration  of 

joy- 
Several  times,  I  now  recollect,  I  was  lost  with  the  rest. 
But  at  this  point  there  came  to  my  mind,  with  great  clear- 
ness and  power,  William  Wirt's  story  of  "The  Blind  Preach- 
er," which  I  had  read  in  my  boyhood.  Mr.  Wirt,  after 
describing  the  man,  the  circumstances,  the  occasion,  and  the 
wonderful  eloquence  of  the  preacher,  and  its  effect  upon  his 
congregation,  spoke  of  his  fears,  that  when  the  congrega- 
tion came  to  realize  where  they  were,  and  what  they  were, 
that  the  mental  shock  would  destroy  the  good  effect  of  the 
discourse.  And  I  now  found  myself  wondering  in  like  man- 
ner. But  while  I  wondered,  Mr.  Redfield  began  to  let 
them  down  so  gradually  and  perfectly  that  the  good  effects 
were  saved.  He  said: 

"When  the  great  Erie  Canal  was  completed,  a  line  of 
cannon  was  stationed  along  its  banks  its  entire  length.  When 
the  water  was  let  in  at  Buffalo,  cannon  number  one  was 
fired,  and  cannon  number  two  took  up  the  report,  and 
passed  it  on  to  number  three,  and  number  three  to  num- 
ber four,  and  so  on,  until  the  report  reached  Albany ;  and 
whoever  heard  the  report  of  the  cannon  understood  it  to 
mean,  it  is  finished.  And  so  when  God  had  prepared  the 
way  and  let  in  the  tide  of  salvation  on  which  man  was  to 
come  back  to  his  Maker,  the  first  report  was  heard  in  the 
song  of  the  angels — 'Glory  to  God  in  the  highest;  on  earth 
peace,  good-will  to  men';  and  the  last  dying  echoes  of  it 


LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

came  from  the  cross  in  the  words  of  the  text,  'It  is  finished.'" 

lie  then  let  go  of  the  desk  and  allowed  himself  to 
fall  hack  upon  the  pulpit  sofa. 

The  next  day  the  writer  accompanied  him  and  his  wife 
to  St.  Charles,  and  in  a  few  days  to  a  general  quarterly  meet- 
ing at  Crystal  Lake,  and  the  next  week  to  Belvidere,  and 
at  last  to  the  camp  meeting  at  St.  Charles.  At  all  these 
places  we  had  meetings  of  great  power  and  success. 

The  St.  Charles  camp'meeting  was  largely  attended.  It 
was  led  by  Superintendent  Roberts.  Mr.  Redfield  did  not 
attempt  to  preach  but  once,  and  that  was  spoiled  by  a  fanat- 
ical Congregationalist  who  was  determined  to  have  him 
healed  on  the  spot. 

vSoon  after  this  Mr.  Redfield  began  to  entertain  hopes 
that  God  would  restore  him.  His  knowledge  of  his  case,  as 
a  physician,  gave  him  no  hope  from  the  arts  or  skill  of  men. 
He  knew  none  but  God  could  do  the  work.  His  mental  con- 
flicts were  most  severe.  He  saw  so  much  to  do,  so  few  to 
do  it,  and  himself  willing  to  do  his  best,  and  he  wondered 
why  God  did  not  set  him  free.  For  twenty -six  years  he 
had  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  he  could  work  un- 
trammeled.  Now  the  time  had  come,  and  he  was  mysteri- 
ously laid  by.  He  would  ask  the  feeblest  saints  to  account 
for  it,  and  would  listen  to  them  with  the  profoundest  atten- 
tion. It  was  pitiful  at  times  to  see  him,  when  some  unwise 
believer  would  publicly  condemn  him  with  the  philosophy 
that  if  he  was  right  he  would  not  be  thus  afflicted.  At 
such  times  he  would  receive  their  idle  vaporings  as  the  most 
solemn  truth,  because  it  coincided  with  his  oppressive  temp- 
tations on  the  subject.  At  times  he  would  rise  above  it  all, 
and  would  triumph  gloriously. 

He  visited  the  quarterly  and  camp  meetings,  gave  advice, 
counseled  with  the  young  preachers,  and  did  what  he  could 
in  the  public  services.  He  sometimes  tried  to  preach,  but 
his  thinking  powers  seemed  paralyzed;  and  at  last  he  gave 
up  trying  altogether. 


LETTER  TO  MRS.  B.  T.  ROBERTS. 


459 


The  following  letter  will  show  his  state  of  mind  at  this 
time.  Some  of  it  evidently  tokens  the  breaking  down  of  his 
magnificent  mind. 

"MARENGO,  111.,  Feb.  10,  1862. 

"My  dear  Sister  Roberts: — I  have  felt  drawn  to  write  to 
you  and  have  begun  and  then  abandoned  it  for  the  time,  and 
thought  it  best  to  wait  till  I  had  something  of  more  impor- 
tance to  write.  I  have  been  learning  lessons  through  my 
whole  affliction  that  nothing  but  this  very  severe  stroke 
could  teach  me.  Astronomers,  who  wish  to  gaze  at  the 
heavens  in  daylight,  go  into  deep  wells,  and  from  those  dark 
places  can  see  what  they  cannot  see  above  ground.  I,  too, 
have  been  making  this  dark  valley  my  observatory  for  about 
fifteen  months,  and  some  of  the  views  I  have  had,  and  still 
have,  are  not  lawful  to  describe.  I  see  a  deep  meaning  in 
my  case  that  must  have  a  bearing  upon  the  cause  of  Free 
Methodism,  all  over  the  land.  I  had  been  learning  fact  after 
fact  till  a  few  weeks  ago  in  St.  Charles,  when  I  saw  the 

wonderful  cure  of  Sister  M from  a  state  of  disease  which 

under  the  best  of  treatment  must  have  taken  weeks  if  not 
months,  and  yet  it  was  done  instantly.  I  saw  great  light, 
and  was  rejoicing  in  it,  and  my  heart  was  deeply  agitated, 
when  I  asked  the  Lord,  'Why  may  I  not  also  receive  the 
healing  touch?'  I  began  a  thorough  search  to  find  out 
where  there  might  be  any  deficiency  in  my  moral  state,  and 
the  first  thing  I  ran  against  was,  my  undue  care  and  anxiety 
for  the  Free  Methodist  Church,  and  preachers.  While  I 
was  giving  up  the  church  it  seemed  that  it  would  almost  take 
my  life.  After  the  church  came  the  preachers,  and  I  had  to 
give  them  all  up.  I  had  not  once  suspected  that  it  was 
wrong  to  love  the  dear  boys,  or  to  feel  an  interest  in  them ; 
but  I  found  that  unsuspectingly  I  was  assuming  the  place  of 
the  Lord,  and  I  was  regarding  them  above  all  other  gospel 
ministers.  I  now  learned  that  I  must  not  value  the  Free 
Methodist  Church  or  its  preachers,  above  any  other.  Uni- 


460  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

vcrsal  charity  was  the  lesson  I  was  here  taught.  Next  came 
the  most  gentle  and  sweet  intimations  that  I  must  soon  goto 
Syracuse.  I  gave  way  to  reasoning  about  the  propriety  of 
this,  when  I  was  seized  with  strangling  spasms,  and  it  seemed 
I  must  yield  to  go  or  die.  Four  or  five  were  present  who  were 
in  a  great  struggle  of  prayer  for  me.  But  as  soon  as  I  gave 
up  to  go,  reason  or  no  reason,  I  was  instantly  at  perfect 
peace  and  rest.  I  had  no  idea  that  I  would  be  made  to  suf- 
fer so  intensely  for  simply  a  conscientious  hesitancy  about 
going  until  I  felt  clear  that  it  was  the  voice  of  the  Lord. 

"To-day  I  had  another  down  spell,  little  dreaming  that 
anything  was  affecting  me  except  the  usual  depression  which 
affects  me  on  account  of  my  feeble  condition;  v/hen  the  most 
mild  and  gentle  influence  turned  my  eye  back  to  about  ten 
years  ago  when  God  gave  me  a  commission  to  preach  re- 
demption, *  and  the  question  came,  'Will  you  go  back  to 
that?'  When  I  said,  'I  will,'  I  was  all  light  again.  I  am 
now  holding  myself  in  readiness  for  marching  orders.  I 
may  not  be  mustered  out  for  some  time  to  come;  but  I  say, 
'Anytime  and  anywhere.' 

*********** 

"I  have  much  to  say  that  I  cannot  put  on  paper.  I  have 
learned  much  I  never  could  have  known  had  I  not  been  af- 
flicted. 

"I  am  now  writing  my  life,  and  shall  bring  it  with  me, 
to  see  about  getting  it  published. 

"My  love  to  Brother  Roberts. 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

During  this  summer  Mr.  Redfield  gathered  together 
what  means  he  had,  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  unimproved 
land  near  Geneva,  the  county  seat  of  Kane  county,  and  about 
three  miles  from  St.  Charles.  A  letter  before  me  in  which 
he  ordered  small  fruits  from  a  nurseryman,  is  a  curiosity. 


*  Mr.  Redfield  held  to  the  idea  of  a  redemption  of  the  mental  faculties,  to  be 
experienced  by  the  faithful  in  this  life. 


AN  INDESCRIBABLE  SCENE.  461 

When  asked  what  he  intended  to  do  with  his  land,  he 
divulged  a  plan  to  make  it  a  pilgrims'  home.  His  house  and 
out-buildings  would  have  cost  many  thousands  of  dollars. 
When  asked  where  the  income  of  the  home  was  to  come 
from,  he  did  not  know. 

In  the  fall  of  1862  he  attended  a  camp  meeting  in  Ogle 
county,  Illinois.  Here  an  incident  occurred  that  drew  him 
out,  and  for  a  few  moments  he  seemed  himself  again.  At 
half-past  ten  o'clock  Monday  morning  Mr.  Roberts  com- 
menced a  sacramental  service.  A  table  was  spread  with  the 
bread  and  wine,  in  front  of  the  desk;  the  love-feast  had 
closed,  and  Mr.  Roberts  gave  out  the  hymn  commencing, 

"What!  never  speak  one  idle  word?" 

when  one  of  the  preachers  interrupted  him  with  the  ques- 
tion, "Is  that  hymn  a  just  test  of  entire  sanctification?" 

"It  is,"  was  the  answer. 

"Then  I  have  not  got  it,"  replied  the  questioner.  "Nor 
I,"  "nor  I,"  said  several.  Immediately  commenced  a  spirit 
of  confession,  of  being  without  the  experience,  first  on  the 
part  of  many  who  had  lost  it;  then  others  threw  away  their 
confidence  as  they  listened  to  those  confessions,  until  it  re- 
sulted in  a  panic.  Mr.  Roberts  was  unable  to  preach  because 
of  it  until  ten  o'clock  at  night.  There  was  scarcely  any 
partaking  of  food,  and  no  cessation  of  the  meeting  dur- 
ing the  day.  The  scene  was  indescribable.  The  gloom  of 
despair  seemed  to  settle  upon  almost  all.  About  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Redfield  arose,  and,  after  considerable 
effort,  secured  the  attention  of  the  despairing  ones,  and  when 
all  was  quiet,  he  asked,  in  his  inimitable  manner,  "Is  there 
not  a  short  way  out  of  the  woods?"  and  then  proceeded  to 
clear  away  the  confusion  of  thought  which  prevailed.  In  a 
very  short  time,  those  who  had  unnecessarily  cast  away  their 
confidence  began  to  take  it  back,  at  first  tremblingly,  and  at 
last  joyously.  Then  those  who  had  need  to  confess  their 


462  LIFE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

backslidings  and  to  seek  for  salvation,  did  so,  and  a  glorious 
victory  was  the  result. 

During  the  winter  of  '62  and  '63,  a  visit  was  made  to 
Buffalo,  and  then  to  Syracuse,  where  were  pilgrims  of 
mighty  faith,  and  he  hoped  for  restoration  in  answer  to  their 
prayers.  Here  he  began  to  show  evidences  of  the  breaking 
down  of  his  mind;  which  led  many  of  his  friends  to  distrust 
his  personal  convictions  of  duty.  This  caused  him  great 
pain.  At  last  he  turned  his  face  toward  the  West  again, 
weeping  as  he  went.  He  said  but  little  now  in  public  gath- 
erings. He  attended  the  annual  session  of  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference. The  love-feast  Sunday  morning  was  truly  blessed, 
and  none  enjoyed  it  more  than  Mr.  Redfield.  When  the 
bread  and  water  were  passed,  he  tried  several  times  to  drink 
from  the  cup,  such  were  his  overflowing  tears,  and  the  con- 
vulsive joy  of  his  heart.  Little  did  some  of  us  think  that  it 
was  the  last  we  should  see  him  alive.  He  returned  to  the 
home  of  Brother  Joslyn,  who  had  so  long  cared  for  him. 
The  last  letter  he  ever  wrote  was  the  following.  It  shows 
the  ruling  spirit  of  his  life.  It  was  to  a  Wesleyan  minister. 

"MARENGO,  111.,  Oct.  29,  1863. 

"Dear  Brother  F : — Your  kind  favor  of  the  lyth  came 

duly  to  hand.  ,We  have  often  wondered  why  you  left  here  so 
soon,  and  why  you  did  not  write.  We  see  by  your  letter 
that  the  devil  is  neither  dead  nor  converted,  and  that  you  are 
beginning  to  learn  that  to  take  sides  with  God  is  equivalent 
to  a  declaration  of  war  against  the  world  of  formalism.  But 
while  we  were  sympathizing  with  you  in  your  conflicts  for 
God  and  truth,  our  hearts  were  made  glad  last  week,  at  our 
conference,  to  see  an  old  man,  a  postmaster,  who  had  come 
about  eighty  miles  to  see  the  Free  Methodists,  and  to  learn 
the  way  of  holiness.  He  said  he  saw  a  report  in  the  Ameri- 
can Wesleyan  from  a  Brother  F ,  giving  an  account  of 

his  experience,  and  .now  he  wanted  to  know  how  to  get 
what  Brother  F had  got.  He  began  in  good  earnest, 


THE  LAST  STROKE.  .       463 

and  soon  was  hopping  and  shouting  in  a  glorious  manner,  and 
went  to  his  home  to  show  what  great  things  the  Lord  had 
done  for  him. 

"I  think  if  you  could  have  seen  him,  you  would  have 
taken  courage  to  stand  for  God  and  the  truth.  We  will 
pray  God  to  make  you  a  power  in  the  earth;  and  I  think  he 
will  look  to  you  to  spread  holiness  in  your  church.  God  will 
stand  by  you.  Shall  the  Almighty  find  in  you  one  who 
dares  to  stand  for  the  right?  Some  one  must  assert  the 
rights  of  God,  and  stand  in  defense  of  the  gospel.  The 
-commission  is  to  you;  will  you  honor  the  call,  or  let  God's 
cause  go  by  default?  True,  you  will  be  of  ten  misunderstood, 
often  slandered,  and  will  pass  a  stormy  life,  and  possibly  die  in 
obscurity.  Your  epitaph  from  mouth  to  mouth  may  be,  'Poor, 
mistaken  man ;'  he  might  have  passed  through  the  world  like  a 
comet,  leaving  a  luminous  path  behind;  but  he  disregarded 
the  judgment  and  opinions  of  men,  and  died  unhonored  by 
the  masses.'  Can  you  stand  thus  to  be  unappreciated,  and 
even  depreciated  for  God  and  truth's  sake?  Oh,  take 
courage,  brother.  Don't  make  it  necessary  for  God  to  scrape 
the  truth  in  pronouncing  on  you,  'Well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant.'  The  great  battle  has  begun.  God  and  the 
devil  are  in  combat.  War,  war, .is  everywhere.  The  spirit 
land  is  in  commotion.  The  world  has  caught  the  spirit  con- 
flict. Armageddon  has  sounded  the  war  cry,  and  the  closing 
struggle  is  upon  us.  As  a  sentinel  for  the  truth  you,  yes  you, 

Brother  F ,  must  stand.     God  has  ratified  your  authority 

by  your  success,  and  he  now  demands,  and  will  hold  you  re- 
sponsible for,  fidelity.     God  help  you,  is  my  prayer. 
"Yours  in  Jesus, 

"J.  W.  REDFIELD." 

The  delay    in .  answering  the  letter  was  caused    by  his 
attending  the  conference. 

November  ist,  the  next  day  after  writing  this  letter,  an- 
other stroke  of  paralysis  came,  and  he  was  laid  upon  his  bed 


464       *  LIKE  OF  JOHN  W.  REDFIELD. 

in  an  apparently  unconscious  state.  Friends  watched  over 
him  with  more  than  filial  solicitude;  but  his  eyes  were  dark- 
ened, and  his  eloquent  lips  were  hushed.  A  few  minutes 
before  eight  o'clock,  November  2,  1863,  his  right  leg  drew 
up  and  straightened  out  again  in  the  same  manner  in  which 
he  was  accustomed  to  stamp  at  the  turning  point  of  his  great 
spiritual  battles. 

A  hush  came  upon  all  in  the  room.  The  place  seemed 
filled  with  the  hosts  of  God,  and  JOHN  WESLEY  REDFIELD 
was  at  rest. 

Two  days  later  his  funeral  was  held  in  the  Free  Method- 
ist church  in  Marengo,  Illinois,  conducted  by  his  friend  and 
beloved  brother  in  the  Lord,  Rev.  B.  T.  Roberts.  Six  young 
ministers,  who  loved  him  as  their  lives,  bore  him  to  his  last 
resting-place  in  the  beautiful  cemetery  near  by.  Above  his 
grave  stands  a  small  marble  shaft,  and  inscribed  upon  it  is 
this  fitting  tribute: 

"HE  WAS  TRUE  TO  His  MOTTO, — FIDELITY  TO  GOD." 


THE   CONQUEROR  CROWNED. 

"Servant  of  God,  well  done! 

Thy  glorious  warfare's  past ; 
The  battle's  fought,  the  race  is  won, 
And  thou  art  crowned  at  last; — 

"Of  all  thy  heart's  desire 

Triumphantly  possessed ; 
Lodged  by  the  ministerial  choir 
In  thy  Redeemer's  breast. 

"In  condescending  love, 

Thy  ceaseless  prayer  he  heard, 
And  bade  thee  suddenly  remove, 
To  thy  complete  reward. 

"With  saints  enthroned  on  high, 

Thou  dost  thy  Lord  proclaim, 
And  still  to  God  salvation  cry, — 
Salvation  to  the  Lamb! 

"O  happy,  happy  soull 

In  ecstasies  of  praise, 
Long  as  eternal  ages  roll, 

Thou  seest  thy  Saviour's  face. 

"Redeemed  from  earth  and  pain, 

Ah!  when  shall  we  ascend, 

And  all  in  Jesus'  presence  reign 

With  our  translated  friend  ?" 


y 

ffas 


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